Cultivar identification within broccoli, Brassica oleracea L var italica Plenck and cauliflower, Brassica oleracea var botrytis L

Intensive breeding within the broccoli/cauliflower complex has eroded the boundary between the two crops, Anomalies in the listing of some cultivars have also arisen in the EEC Common Catalogue for Vegetables, particularly those that belong to the forms Purple Cauliflower and Romanesco. Comparative ontogeny and morphological studies were performed on a range of cultivars in an attempt to resolve the classification of these forms. Multivariate analyses are presented which support the view that cultivars grouped within the form Purple Cauliflower should be placed in the same botanical variety as Broccoli/Calabrese (var. italica) and those of Romanesco with Cauliflower (var. botrytis). Such an approach would help resolve the current listing anomalies.