| Description |
Rapeseed, or Oilseed Rape, is an annual or biennial flowering plant in the Brassica family that is grown for its oil-rich seeds. The seeds are used to create vegetable oil, feed livestock, and produce biodiesel. Canola is a specific cultivar. Rapeseed has an upright growth habit, flattened leaves, yellow flowers, and sickle-shaped seed pods with tiny black seeds. The oil of wild varieties is high in erucic acid and can be toxic, but cultivated varieties are nearly free of erucic acid. Young leaves can be eaten as kale-like greens. Rapeseed can become invasive as it naturalizes in the wild easily. It is tolerant of saline conditions.
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