Herb: Pak Choi


Latin name: Brassica rapa chinensis


Synonyms: Brassica chinensis, Brassica napus chinensis, Brassica oleracea chinensis, Brassica rapa rosularis


Family: Cruciferae



Medicinal use of Pak Choi:

The leaf is antiarthritic, antiscorbutic and resolvent.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Biennial


Height:
90 cm
(2 feet)

Flowering:
May to
August

Habitat of the herb:

Not known in the wild.

Edible parts of Pak Choi:

Leaves - raw or cooked. They can be eaten at any stage from seedling to mature plant. Well-flavoured, they are sweet with a hint of mustard.The leaves are also dried for winter use. The leaves have pronounced stems and these can also be eaten, they tend to have a mild, almost bland flavour. A nutritional analysis is available. Immature flowering stems - cooked like broccoli. A sweet flavour. An edible oil is obtained from the seed.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - sow in situ May to August. Spring sown crops are prone to run quickly to seed if there is a spell of cold weather. Some varieties can also be sown in a cold greenhouse in autumn or early spring to provide leaves overwinter and in late spring.

Cultivation of Pak Choi:

Not known in the wild.

Known hazards of Brassica rapa chinensis:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.