Rapeseed
| Rapeseed | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Brassicales |
| Family: | Brassicaceae |
| Genus: | Brassica |
| Species: | B. napus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Brassica napus | |
Rapeseed (Brassica napus subsp. napus), also known as rape and oilseed rape and canola, is a yellow-flowered member of the Brassicaceae family.
The plant is cultivated primarily for its oil-rich seed, which naturally contains mildly toxic erucic acid. The term canola refers to a group of rapeseed cultivars with very low levels of erucic acid that are prized as food for humans and animals. The plant is the third-largest source of vegetable oil and the second-largest source of protein meal in the world.