Cruciferous vegetables are
vegetables of the family
Brassicaceae (also called Cruciferae). These vegetables are widely cultivated, with many genera, species, and cultivars being raised for food production such as
cauliflower,
cabbage,
garden cress,
bok choy,
broccoli,
brussels sprouts and similar green leaf vegetables. The family takes its alternate name (Cruciferae,
New Latin for "cross-bearing") from the shape of their flowers, whose four
petals resemble a
cross.