Category Archives: Vegetables

All about vegetables…

A Sensitive Plant that Swims!

Posted on January 7, 2010 | 3 Comments

Neptunia oleracea is the aquatic equivalent of the common sensitive plant (Mimosa pudica). Commonly known as the water sensitive plant, it grows via long stems and sports the same pinnate leaves like its terrestrial counterpart, which closes up when disturbed.

Unlike the common sensitive plant, Neptunia oleracea does not have thorns and produces flowers that are yellow in colour rather than pink. Interestingly, the mature stems of Neptunia oleracea that are in contact with water develop somewhat differently as they will have a layer of white spongy tissue around the stems formed between the leaves to help them float on water.

Because of these characteristics, I find this plant an ideal and interesting candidate to show as an example to children of a plant that moves, much like the common ones that we now know that include the common mimosa, the dancing plant (Desmodium gyrans) and Venus fly trap (Dionaea muscipula). Without thorns, Neptunia oleracea is safe to handle by children and what’s more, its a mimosa that wears a float to swim in water! It is an edible plant too and children can cook it as a fun activity!

According to Plant Resources of South East Asia (PROSEA), Neptunia oleracea is widely distributed in the tropics of both hemispheres but the origin of the species is uncertain. It occurs wild and cultivated as a vegetable throughout South-East Asia, particularly in Thailand and Indochina.  Neptunia oleracea can be found growing in inundated ricefields and in other fresh water bodies and sometimes becomes a weed which choke up waterways in some countries. A member of the bean family, Fabaceae, this plant has nitrifying capability and releases nitrogen into the water.

In Singapore, this plant is not easily found, perhaps due to the fact that our country has been urbanised to a great big extent and all our waterways have been cleared and paved with concrete over the past few decades of rapid development. It cannot be purchased from local nurseries as well. I managed to find some on sale in a Thai supermarket in Golden Mile Complex, which is known here as the ‘Little Thailand’. Stems of this plant of about 30 cm are sold in bundles. It is best to buy them when they first arrive before they dehydrate over time.

The fresh stems of this plant can be used for propagation. After several tries, I succeeded in propagating Neptunia oleracea and what I did was to simply throw the stems into a pond. The stems rooted rather quickly and the plant started to extend its stems in just a week in water! Plants are best grown inside a pond that is exposed to full sun or semi-shade. Now I have some being grown in the natural pond located nearby HortPark’s Kampong Daze theme garden.

Do you know that the roots of this plant are used medicinally? The people of Kelantan, Malaysia) use the root as an external remedy for necrosis of the bones of the nose and hard palate. The juice of the stem is squeezed into the ear to cure earache and the root is used in the advanced stage of syphilis in Malaysia. An infusion of its roots is rubbed all over the body with rice flour to reduce fever. A common ingredient of Thai cuisine, the leaves and young shoots are said to have a nutty cabbage-like flavour and can be eaten raw (such as after being dipped in sambal blachan) or cooked (added to soups).

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What’s Ulam Raja?

Posted on December 30, 2009 | 1 Comment

I first came across a medicinal plant that is called ‘ulam raja’ when I was doing a research project on plant antioxidants during my Food Science and Technology undergraduate days in the National University of Singapore. Thanks for my Malay friend, Hidayat, he was the one who brought me to Geylang Serai wet market on several Sunday mornings to search for vegetables and plants that are consumed by the local Malay community.  I have not seen it being put up for sale in most other markets. In the local market, bundles of fresh, young and tender tips of this plant are put on sale. They wilt quickly, however, under our hot weather here.

Botanically known as Cosmos caudatus, it is sometimes called ‘wild cosmos’ by locals here but it is mostly refered to via its Malay name, ulam raja, which translates into ‘king vegetable’. Native to tropical America, it was first introduced to Philippines via the Spaniards, according to Plant Resources of South East Asia (PROSEA). The pinnate to pinnatipartite leaves of this plant are consumed as a leafy vegetable, usually in the raw form, but sometimes also cooked and mixed with coconut sauce and chillies. It constitutes as one of the more common raw plant leaves eaten a salad-like form, called ‘ulam’ by the local Malay community as well as those in Indonesia and Malaysia.

For the uninitiated, the leaves of ulam raja tastes raw and somewhat astringent. When crushed, the leaves emit an odour that is reminiscent of mango. It is considered as a medicinal herb which is believed to possess the ability to cleanse the blood and strengthen bones due to its high calcium content. From my research, a preliminary one which was done with my then postgraduate colleague, the dried leaves of this plants contain high amounts of potent antioxidants. The results of our work was published in the following paper:

Shui G, Leong LP, Wong SP. (2005) Rapid screening and characterisation of antioxidants of Cosmos caudatus using liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci. 827(1):127-38.

The plant itself can grow quite tall, up to 3 m tall but is an annual or a short-lived perennial herb. It produces dainty, attractive pink flowers when mature. It should not be confused with the yellow- and orange-flowered Cosmos sulphureus as both species are similar vegetatively and have some vernacular names (randa midang in West Java) in common. The latter are more important as ornamental plants that are a common feature during Chinese New Year.

The ulam raja plant was once difficult to find in Singapore. It can sometimes be found naturalised in abandoned kampongs or wastelands. Occasionally, one is able to find a colony being grown by a Malay resident in a community garden. A few years ago, it was almost impossible to buy pots of this plant. Only recently, I discovered World Farm, a Singaporean wholesale nursery stocking some pots of it for sale to the public. I managed to get some young plants that were weeded out from a colleague’s park a couple of months ago.

This plant is rather easy to grow. It thrives in a sunny spot outdoors with well draining, fertile and moist soil. It is a big drinker and demands a constant supply of food. Under optimal conditions, it grows quickly, flowers and sets seeds very readily. Plants self seed easily and can quickly become a weed in a garden. Harvesting of leaves can commence once plants are 6 weeks old and subsequent ones can be done every 3 weeks. Regular harvesting will stimulate the production of useful and edible foliage and helps to delay flowering.

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Let’s talk about edible gourds!

Posted on December 24, 2009 | 1 Comment

Last weekend had been a really busy one for me. On 19 Dec 09, a Saturday, a day before the gardening Sunday at HortPark, I was involved in delivering a talk entitled ‘Edible Gourds for Your Garden’. This was a last minute talk that was put together to replace Boon Kiat’s talk as he was not able to give his cacti and succulents talk due to compassionate reasons.

In this talk, I shared with my audience one of my favourite group of edible plants that I have tried my hands growing them before. As the term ‘edible gourds’ suggests, my talk attempted to introduce the range of fruited vegetables that are members of the Cucurbitaceae family. Some familiar members of this plant family include cucumbers, bittergourd, luffa and bottlegourd. These constitute some of the most rewarding and easier species to grow here locally.

In my talk, I shared some tips based on my personal experience as well as problems encountered during the growing of some of these gourds in my community garden. The audience also got to know the sources to go if they are keen to purchase some seeds to grow some of these plants in their home gardens.

In the slide above, my audience got to know that some cucurbits have medicinal uses. They include the following plants:

1. Five-leaf ginseng (botanical name - Gynostemma pentaphyllum) is called ‘绞股蓝’ or ‘ jiaogulan’ in Chinese, which is  possesses adaptogen and antioxidant properties.

2. Bittergourd, especially those with smaller fruits are said to have hypoglycaemic properties by many Chinese Singaporeans here. Fruits are juiced and the beverage drunk.

3. Winter melon slices are often sold as sugared, dried slices, which are used in herbal teas for their purported ‘cooling’ effects.

4. ’Arhat fruit’ (botanical name - Siraitia grosvenorii) is called ‘罗汉果’ or ‘luohan guo’ in Chinese where its dried fruits are used in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

5. Spiny bittergourd (botanical name - Momordica cochinchinensis) - The red aril around its large seeds are cooked with rice in Vietnam and the seeds which resemble the turtle shell (called ‘木鳖子’ or ‘mubiezi’ in Chinese) are also used in Traditional Chinese Medicine).

In another slide, I showed my audience two other species of species which commonly occur as weeds in Singapore which are largely ignored. Coccinia grandis also called the ivy gourd is a vine that produces white, star-shaped flowers and edible fruits that are sold in Little India. Another is a species of Melothria, which produces small yellow flowers and cute, oval fruits.

Despite the rain, locality of this library in the East as well as proximity of the date to a major festive day (that is Christmas), I saw only a handful of gardeners who made it a point to attend my talk at Tampines Regional Library’s Auditorium and I am very grateful for their support. I was happy to see a few familiar faces amongst the audience and one of them was Ms Nancy Ong who is a community gardener currently residing in Marine Parade where she showed me the fruits of her labour. She has successfully grown watermelons and honeydew in her community garden in her condominium.

Note that the pictures shown in my presentation slides still belong to their respective owners and are used then for illustrative purposes only.

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The ‘Tomorrow Leaf Plant’

Posted on November 20, 2009 | 19 Comments

Angelica keiskei was once a popular medicinal herb in Singapore. From afar, I think it looks like a enlarged version of the flat leaf parsley plant (Petroselinum neapolitanum). In fact, do not be surprised to know that both plants are members of the Apiaceae (Umbelliferae) family. Common vegetables such as the carrot, celery and dill are also members of this family.

This medicinal herb is often sold singly in pots. It grows as a rosetted plant with a height of about 20 to 30 cm tall. Its large, much divided leaves confers a rather lush look to the entire plant. From my observation, Angelica keiskei seems to prefer to grow in a semi-shaded and sheltered location in Singapore’s hot and humid tropical climate. It doesn’t seem to be able to take our heavy, torrential rains that come down from the skies during certain times of the year here.

Outdoors, try growing Angelica keiskei in a shaded spot that is kept moist at all times. When exposed to excessive direct sunshine, this plant will wilt and turn into a sickly shade of yellow. It needs to be kept moist at all times and hence never allow the soil to dry out. Grow it in moist, fertile soil that is also free-draining.

Angelica keiskei makes a good and attractive houseplant for highrise gardeners. It does well if placed on a bright windowsill that receives filtered or reflected sunshine for at least 4 hours daily. Try to protect it from excessive wind that can dry the plant out.

Recently, I saw some specimens that are in flower on sale in a local nursery for the first time. The much branched flower spike was about 1 m tall and held numerous clusters of small white flowers. Botanically, this particular arrangement of flowers is called an umbel. Some of the flowers have even started to turn into fruits!

Native to East Asia to Japan, Angelica keiskei is known via its Japanese name ‘Ashitaba’. Locally in Singapore, people here call it ‘明日叶’ (ming ri ye) which translates into ”Tomorrow Leaf’, which refers to the ability to regenerate a new leaf soon after one has been harvested. Don’t expect it to put forth a new leaf as soon as the day after! It is not exactly a very fast grower, at least here in Singapore! If you are a fan of this plant, you probably have to have a dozen of pots to satisfy your needs!

The leaves are consumed like a vegetable either in the raw form or cooked by lightly blanching it. When cut, the aerial parts of this plant exude a yellow sap which is found to be an abundant source of furocoumarins and a range of polyphenols. These are believed to possess health-enhancing and anti-cancer properties. However, it is reported that the consumption of Angelica keiskei can lead to skin sensitivity to sunlight and may cause dermatitis in some individuals. Like many members of the Apiaceae family, Angelica keiskei also features a tap root underground that is short and thick. It is also edible and is served either in the cooked or pickled form.

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Ceylon Spinach

Posted on September 17, 2009 | 1 Comment

The Ceylon spinach is one of the first leafy vegetables that I got acquainted with when I was still a kid. Since young, I have a keen interest to see how edible plants grow and a market stallholder whom my mother often patronized then gave me a cutting of the red/purple Ceylon spinach to bring home to poke into a pot of soil for it to root and grow. It is used as a spinach substitute and is not related to the true spinach (Spinacea oleracea).

This leafy vegetable can be distinguished into two main species. The version that has red purplish stems is often called the red Ceylon spinach and is botanically known as Basella rubra while the all green version is called Basella alba. Locally, the red purplish version is readily available whilst the all green version is now harder to find. However, the tender and young growing tips of the latter are easier to find as they offered for sale under a more refined Chinese name as ‘huang ti cai’ which translates into ‘Emperor’s vegetable’.

The Ceylon spinach is a perennial herbaceous vine in the tropics. It adopts a creeping growth habit if a support is not provided. Its climbing growth habit becomes apparent whenever a shoot gets hold of one. The leaves of this plant are heart-shaped, green and have a glossy appearance. Older plants produce small, insignificant flowers in clusters and fruits are one-seeded berries. The fruits of the purplish red version ripen to a purplish-black colour and they yield a red dye that is used as ink for seals by court officials in ancient China. This sap is also used as food coloring and acidifying it with lemon juice intensifies the purple colour. The fruits fall off easily from parent plant for self-seeding when mature. As such, the established plants multiply and spread easily.

Young leaves and stems have an ‘earthy’ flavor and mucilaginous with slightly slippery texture which one needs to develop an acquired taste to really like this vegetable. The Ceylon spinach can be eaten raw in salads, as a steamed vegetable, or used as thickening agent in stews and soups. It is rich in vitamins A and C, as well as iron, calcium and soluble fiber and is believed to possess medicinal properties where the most well known is that the leaves and stems have a mild laxative effect.

The Ceylon spinach is fast-growing and can be grown as an edible and ornamental vegetable. It is best grown in a semi-shaded location with moist, fertile, well-drained and loamy soil. Use high-nitrogen fertilizer to promote growth. This plant is prone to foliar fungal disease and one can minimize its incidence by improving air circulation or increasing amount of light.

The easiest way to propagate this plant is by stem cuttings. Use stems around 20cm long – first trim away the larger leaves to reduce transpiration before planting into a pot of soil placed in a shady location. Once rooted, these cuttings can be moved to a brighter final growing location. One can also grow the Ceylon spinach from seeds but these are not readily available in Singapore.

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Okra – Little Lucy

Posted on September 9, 2009 | Leave a comment

I was given seeds of a red lady’s finger variety called ‘Little Lucy’ some months ago. It is a cultivar that has not been grown Singapore before, although, from some sources on the internet, ‘Little Lucy’ has been reported to have been extensively trialed almost everywhere in the United States. Since I have successfully grown it, I thought it may be a good idea to share about my growing experience on this blog.

‘Little Lucy’ is dwarf cultivar with a very compact growth habit. It is suitable for growing in containers although I started mine in large planter bags of well-rotted compost which were subsequently transplanted into the growing beds in HortPark’s Kampong Daze. I agree with some of the write-ups posted on the internet about this cultivar where they have recommended ‘Little Lucy’ as a candidate for growing in the front of the veggie garden or mixed border.

My plants started to produce their first flowers and fruits when they were about 30 cm tall that took about 1 and a half months from the date of seed sowing. This cultivar features closely-spaced leaves and unlike many other lady’s finger varieties I have come across, the leaves of ‘Little Lucy’ are quite large compared to the plant’s actual stature. They are deeply lobed and have red splashes that overflowed to both sides from the network of veins.

The flowers of ‘Little Lucy’ are similar to those produced by other lady’s finger varieties – large, yellowish, hibiscus-like flowers with a central dark eye. The fruits are dark red when they first form and that is the best time to pick them for eating before they fade to a lighter colour where they would have turned much more fibrous and less palatable.

Unfortunately, this cultivar is a F1 hybrid which means that seeds produced by existing plants will not breed true if we are to plant them later! To grow ‘Little Lucy’ again, we need to purchase new seeds!

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The not-so-common Water Celery

Posted on August 30, 2009 | Leave a comment

Oenanthe javanica is an uncommon leafy vegetable. Available occasionally in the wet market in Geylang Serai, it is called ‘daun selom’ by the Malays and known via a variety of common names in English such as water dropwort, water celery and water parsley.

Native to this part of the world, Oenanthe javanica is a marginal water plant that grows naturally in freshwater marshes and, along ditches and streams. A member of the celery family, Apiaceae, Oenanthe javanica features hollow stems which help it to float on water. Its pinnate to tripinnate foliage is celery-like and emits an odour similar to that of carrot tops.

The plant spreads via creeping stolons that produces long, threadlike rootlet at the nodes. Dainty, fragrant, white flowers are produced in compound umbels. The genus name, Oenanthe, is derived from the Greek words oinos and anthos, which mean ‘wine’ and ‘flower’ respectively, with reference to the wine-like scent of the flowers. I tried to smell the flowers of this species up-close but could not detect any obvious odour.

The ornamental version of this plant can be on sale in selected plant nurseries in Singapore. Known via the cultivar name ‘Flamingo’, it features variegated leaves with green, pink and cream.

The young shoots and leaves of Oenanthe javanica are eaten raw as ‘ulam’ and added to ‘laksa’ in northern Peninsular Malaysia. They are also steamed with rice, or chopped and boiled as greens. Oenanthe javanica possesses antihypertensive properties and contains high amounts of antioxidants such as ascorbic acid and carotenoids. Unlike other species that belong to the same genus, it does not contain the poison, oenanthotoxin.

Oenanthe javanica grows best in a cool, semi-shaded area with fertile soil that is kept moist at all times. New plants can be started easily via rooting stem-cuttings obtained from material bought from the market in some water. Rooted cuttings can then be transferred into a pot of soil.

A fast-growing plant, Oenanthe javanica can remove excess nutrients from water bodies and hence has the potential to be a phyto-remedial plant. It can be grown as a border plant around a natural pond or inside a water-tight container but don’t grow this plant in a koi pond as it is a very attractive food for these fishes!

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The Indian Lettuce

Posted on June 19, 2009 | 2 Comments

The Indian lettuce is an edible leafy vegetable that is quite prevalent in Singapore’s community gardens. Botanically known as Lactuca indica, the Indian letttuce is a member of the daisy family, Asteraceae and related to the common lettuce (Lactuca sativa).

This vegetable is not available for sale commercially in Singapore and only the more senior gardeners are probably the ones who are familiar with it. They called it the “goose vegetable” (鹅菜) because the greyish green leaves were reportedly harvested and fed to geese several decades back when Singapore still had villages and farms.

Native to warmer parts of China, Taiwan and southern Japan, the Indian lettuce is thought to be introduced to this part of the world by Chinese immigrants. The plant is a perennial which sends up new shoots from the base of the plant. It adopts a rosette growth habit when young and depending on the cultivar, the leaves of this plant can range from simple, undivided to deeply pinnated. The one seen locally produces oblong-lanceoate in shape. There is a cultivar with prominent red mid-ribs.

 With time, one will notice the leaf to leaf distance on the stem elongates and the leaves start to get narrower and shorter as well. When the plant attains a height of about 1.5 to 2 m, it will start to send up its inflorescence. The inflorescence is much branched and the daisy-like flowers each resembles a poached egg, complete with a yellow center and white rays. Growth terminates for that particular shoot and the plant spends its energy to produce seed. The plant sometimes sends up new sideshoots from the base.

Seedheads form after the flowers fade. One will be able to find numerous small and black coloured seeds loosely clustered around each seedhead. Each seed is flat, hard, black in colour and has some interesting-looking fluff that is attached to it on one end. With that characteristic, seeds of the Indian lettuce appear to be wind-dispersed. To grow this plant, one has to start from seeds but these are not available commercially as well. It is best to get fresh seeds by approaching a gardener who is growing some Indian lettuce plants in his/her garden.

 

The leaves of the Indian lettuce are not particularly nice to eat and are rather coarse in texture. When injured, the wound exudes a white latex. In my community garden, the Indian lettuce is grown like a cut-and-come-again vegetable where the leaves located lower down on the stems are harvested while leaving the plant to continue to grow. We do not uproot the entire plant for food. Besides being edible raw, steamed and boiled, Indian lettuce leaves have medicinal uses too. According to Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA), they are believed to possess tonic, digestive and depurative properties.

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Getting to know Sauropus androgynus

Posted on May 28, 2009 | 2 Comments

Sauropus androgynous is a leafy vegetable that is not exactly well known among younger Singaporeans nowadays. It is not something that you can find in every wet market or supermarket. I noticed this leafy vegetable are available for sale in Giant, selected vegetable stalls in Tekka Market and Geylang Serai wet market and Mohd Mustafa & Samsuddin Co Pte Ltd’s supermarket section.

Although it is sometimes referred to as katuk, star gooseberry, Sabah vegetable or sweet leaf, Sauropus androgynous is better known via its Chinese name ‘mani cai’ (马尼菜) or Malay names such as ’cekur manis’, ‘pucuk manis’ or ‘sayur manis’ in Singapore. Sauropus androgynous is a perennial shrub that is grown in tropical regions where it thrive and grows rapidly in the hot humid lowland weather conditions. If allowed to grow, the plant can attain a height of about 2.5 m high. It bears pinnate dark green, oval leaves, which sometimes have silvery speckled markings on the upperside.

For use as a leafy vegetable, tender young leaves are harvested from the top 15 cm of stem tips. They have a pleasant, slightly nutty taste, which is sometimes likened to be similar to that of fresh garden peas and a texture that resembles asparagus. They can be eaten raw in salads, steamed or stir-fried with egg and dried achovies. Notably, the leaves of Sauropus androgynous are well known for their ability to retain their dark green colour and firm texture on cooking. Some individuals prefer to have the leaves removed from their thin wiry petioles before cooking them so as to avoid the trouble of having to remove the leaves from their petioles at the dinner table.

Seeds of this plant are not available commercially and they are documented to remain viable for only a few months. Plants are tjerefore most conveniently started from vegetative propagation using stem-cuttings via material bought for the kitchen from the market. After stripping the leaves for cooking, the stems (or twigs) can all be planted into a pot of soil. Sauropus androgynous is a ‘cut and come again’ vegetable as its young leaves can be harvested as and when they are needed. The plant can be left in the ground or pot to regenerate and produce new foliage which can be picked again at a later date.

Sauropus androgynous is a low maintenance plant that is not exactly fussy about its growing conditions. Reported to be a plant that is highly mycorrhizal-dependent, it can be easily grown in moist, fertile and acid soils. It can also adapt to being grown in heavy clay soils. It tolerates a range of light conditions which range from semi-shade to full sunshine outdoors. Apartment gardeners can also grow this shrub too if they have a bright windowsill that receives filtered sunshine for 4 to 6 hours daily. The plant is also relatively pest- and disease-free. Beetles may chew on the leaves.

This shrub responds to fertilisation. To promote rapid growth, feed plants using fertilisers rich in nitrogen.  It takes pruning back quite well and puts forth numerous new, upright branches quickly when it is well-fed. Keep the roots moist at all times as moisture stress can set plants back quite severely. The use of shade cloth to cast some shade is reported to be a method used by farmers in Malaysia to force vegetative growth.

Mature Sauropus androgynous plants do produce flowers and fruits. The flowers are small and dark maroon in colour which occur individually and hang from the point where each pinnate leaflet joins the petiole. Small purplish fruits that resemble miniature mangosteens are produced after the flowers fade. Both flowers and fruits produced by the plant can be eaten.

A plant that belongs to the spurge family of plants, Euphorbiaceae, Sauropus androgynous has a high level of provitamin A, vitamins B, C and K, protein and minerals in freshly picked leaves. Nutrient content of the leaves is usually higher in more mature leaves. Although Sauropus androgynus is a nutritious vegetable, one should be cautioned from consuming excessive amounts, especially in the raw form as several cases of poisoning have been reported previously in Taiwan which resulted in progressive obstructive lung disease.

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Taking a Look at Radish Flowers

Posted on February 24, 2009 | 4 Comments

Most of us are familiar with how radishes look. The moment someone mentions the word radish, the image of the plant’s edible fat roots that come in a range of shapes, sizes and colours, comes to mind. But how many of us have seen how the flowers of the radish plant look?

I visited a nursery just last week and pounced upon a pot of radish plant that was in bloom. The radish plant which I saw was the red and round variety that was imported for sale as a Chinese New Year display plant (shown in the picture above). I posted a short article on this particular festive radish on this blog last month and it can be viewed via the following link:

http://gardeningwithwilson.com/2009/01/13/lunar-new-plant-radishes/

Radishes, botanically known as Raphanus sativus, belong to the same plant family, Brassicaceae, as many edible leafy vegetables that we eat almost on a daily basis that  include the cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and so on. Brassicaceae is the new family name that replaced the earlier name, Cruciferae. The old name was derived from the word ‘crucifix’, which has the meaning of “cross-bearing”.

The relationship of the radish’s plant family name with that of the crucifix becomes clear only when one sees the flowers borne by the family members. Plants belonging to Brassicaceae produce flowers that each has four petals that are roughly arranged perpendicular to each other, making the flower look like a cross.

For those who have seen the flowers borne by various common Brassica leafy vegetables such as Chinese cabbages (Brassica chinensis) would know that their flower colour is usually yellow in colour. Flowers produced by the radish, on the other hand, are white. This is not a rare exception since among the common vegetables we eat here in Singapore, the Chinese kale (Brassica alboglabra), also known as Kai Lan, is yet another plant that has white blossoms.

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