Cabbage, also known as: kale (Brassica oleracea L.): an annual or biennial herb of the family Cruciferae, genus Brassica, and a biennial herb, pinkish frosted. Dwarf and stout annual stems are fleshy, unbranched, green or gray-green. Basal leaves thick, layered into globules, oblate, creamy white or pale green; biennial stems branched, with cauline leaves. Basal leaves apically rounded, base cuspidate into very short broadly winged petiole, margin undulate inconspicuously serrate; upper cauline leaves ovate or oblong-ovate, base clasping; uppermost leaves oblong, ca. 4.5 cm, ca. 1 cm wide, clasping. Racemes terminal and axillary; flowers yellowish, 2-2.5 cm in diam. Long-horned fruit terete, slightly compressed on both sides, midvein prominent, beak conic; fruiting pedicel thick, spreading erect. Seeds globose, brown. Fruiting in May.

Cultivated throughout China as a vegetable and fodder. The concentrated juice of the leaves is used to treat gastric and duodenal ulcers. It is one of the most important vegetables in China. With the exception of kale, which is native to China, all varieties of kale originate from the Mediterranean to the North Sea coast. As early as 4000-4500 years ago, ancient Romans and ancient Greeks cultivated it, and it is commonly known as "big head cabbage" in northeast China and "lotus white" in Yunnan.