Second moon orchid, Premier Zhu-ge's vegetable
Orychophragmus violaceus

Family: Brassicaceae

What it is like

A cabbage family herb which takes 1 or 2 years to complete its life cycle. It grows 50 cm high and spreads 30 cm wide. The leaves near the base are thin and lyre shaped. They are divided into lobes along the stalk. The leaves on the stem are simple and oval. The flowers have 4 petals. They are violet. The flowers occur in clusters. The pod is 7-10 cm long and has 4 ridges. It has a beak 2-3 cm long. The seeds are black-brown.

There are 2 Orychophragmus species.

Where it is found

It grows on roadsides, gardens, forests, fields, thickets, valleys, hillsides, sunny slopes; near sea level to 1500 m altitude in China. It is often self-sown under Juniper and Thuja trees. It suits hardiness zones 9-11. In Sichuan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Australia, China, Japan, Korea, North America, USA

How it is used for food

It is eaten as a leaf vegetable in China.

Edible parts

Leaves

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Zhu ge cai, Eryuelan

Synonyms

Brassica violacea Linnaeus; Arabis chanetii H. Léveillé; Cardamine potentillifolia H. Léveillé; Moricandia sonchifolia (Bunge) J. D. Hooker; Moricandia sonchifolia var. homaeophylla Hance; Orychophragmus diffusus Z. M. Tan & J. M. Xu; Orychophragmus hupehensis (Pampanini) Z. M. Tan & X. L. Zhang; Orychophragmus sonchifolius Bunge; Orychophragmus sonchifolius var. hupehensis Pampanini; Orychophragmus sonchifolius var. intermedius Pampanini; Orychophragmus sonchifolius var. subintegrifolius Pampanini; Orychophragmus taibaiensis Z. M. Tan & B. Z. Zhao; Orychophragmus violaceus var. homaeophyllus (Hance) O. E. Schulz; Orychophragmus violaceus var. hupehensis (Pampanini) O. E. Schulz; Orychophragmus violaceus var. intermedius (Pampanini) O. E. Schulz; Orychophragmus violaceus var. lasiocarpus Migo; Orychophragmus violaceus var. subintegrifolius (Pampanini) O. E. Schulz; Raphanus chanetii H. Léveillé; Raphanus courtoisii H. Léveillé; Raphanus violaceus (Linnaeus) Crantz.;