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Brassicaceae
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Rows of green cabbage plants growing closely together in a field, each with large, overlapping leaves forming round heads. Horseradish Charlock Honesty fruit partitions
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Venus's-flytrap. Venus's-flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) one of the best known of the meat-eating plants. Carnivorous plant, Venus flytrap, Venus fly trap
Plants: From Cute to Carnivorous
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Formerly:
Cruciferae
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Rows of green cabbage plants growing closely together in a field, each with large, overlapping leaves forming round heads.
Cabbage Head cabbage (Brassica oleracea, variety capitata), one of many domesticated forms of the cabbage plant.

Brassicaceae

plant family
Also known as: Cruciferae, mustard family
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Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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Horseradish
HorseradishHorseradish (Armoracia rusticana). The pungent root is commonly grated and mixed with vinegar to form horseradish sauce, and can be used as a substitute for true wasabi (Eutrema japonicum).

Brassicaceae, the mustard family of flowering plants (order Brassicales), composed of about 350 genera and more than 4,100 species. The family includes many plants of economic importance that have been extensively altered and domesticated by humans, especially those of the genus Brassica, which includes cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, kohlrabi, napa cabbage, turnip, and rutabaga. Other important agricultural crops in the family include horseradish, radish, and white mustard. A number of species—such as basket-of-gold, candytuft, and honesty—are grown as ornamentals, and some members of the family are considered invasive species in regions outside their native range.

Charlock
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CharlockClose up of the flowers of charlock (Sinapis arvensis), a member of the mustard family (Bassicaceae).
Honesty fruit partitions
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Honesty fruit partitionsDry silvery fruit partitions of the honesty (Lunaria annua) plant. Honesty produces disc-shaped fruits with a translucent partition between the halves; only the partition remains on the plant after the seeds have been dispersed.

Plants in the mustard family are usually herbs and can be annuals, biennials, or perennials. The leaves are mostly simple and alternately arranged, and many are peppery-flavored. The flowers are cruciform (e.g., in the form of a cross) with four petals and four sepals; the plants are commonly referred to as “crucifers” or “cruciferous” for that reason. The flowers are usually white, yellow, or lavender and characteristically feature four long and two short stamens and a two-chambered ovary positioned above the other flower parts. The seeds are produced in dry podlike fruits, often with a partition between the halves; long thin fruits are known as siliques, and short rounded fruits are known as silicles.

The smell and taste of the plants in Brassicaceae result from the presence of glucosinolates—sulfur-containing compounds that are also known as mustard oils. These compounds are found in nearly every member and can deter herbivores from bacteria to mammals. However, these same compounds are also attractive to some organisms. For example, butterflies of the genus Pieris and its relatives, such as cabbage whites and orange tips, can be very serious pests of cultivated Brassica.

Venus's-flytrap. Venus's-flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) one of the best known of the meat-eating plants. Carnivorous plant, Venus flytrap, Venus fly trap
Britannica Quiz
Plants: From Cute to Carnivorous
The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Melissa Petruzzello.