Chinese cabbage a name with a bewildering number of applications. Confusion is compounded by the fact that many Chinese names for species or varieties are taking their place in the English language, in parallel with the increased cultivation of these plants in western countries; and by the lack of agreement among botanists on their botanical classification. What is said about classification and nomenclature below is offered ‘under every reserve’, as the French say; and there is much to be said for the advice offered by one expert author, which is to forget the names and shop by picking up or pointing.
