Brassica carinata is a member of the Triangle of U

Triangle of U

The Triangle of U is a theory about the evolution and relationships between members of the plant genus Brassica. The theory states that the genomes of three ancestral species of Brassica combined to create three of the common contemporary vegetables and oilseed crop species...

 species (U, 1935) in the agriculturally significant Brassica

Brassica

Brassica is a genus of plants in the mustard family . The members of the genus may be collectively known either as cabbages, or as mustards...

genus. It has 34 chromosomes with genome composition BBCC, and is thought to result from an ancestral hybridisation event between Brassica nigra

Brassica nigra

Brassica nigra is an annual weedy plant cultivated for its seeds, which are commonly used as a spice.-Description:...

(genome composition BB) and Brassica oleracea

Brassica oleracea

Brassica oleracea, or wild cabbage, is a species of Brassica native to coastal southern and western Europe, where its tolerance of salt and lime and its intolerance of competition from other plants typically restrict its natural occurrence to limestone sea cliffs, like the chalk cliffs on both...

(genome composition CC) (Prakash and Hinata, 1980). Although B. carinata is cultivated as an oilseed crop in Ethiopia

Ethiopia

Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...

 (Alemayehu and Becker, 2004), it has generally high levels of undesirable glucosinolate

Glucosinolate

The glucosinolates are a class of organic compounds that contain sulfur and nitrogen and are derived from glucose and an amino acid. They occur as secondary metabolites of almost all plants of the order Brassicales , but also in the genus Drypetes .-Chemistry:Glucosinolates are water-soluble...

s and erucic acid

Erucic acid

Erucic acid is a monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid, denoted 22:1 ω-9. It has the formula CH37CH=CH11COOH. It is prevalent in rapeseed, wallflower seed, and mustard seed, making up 40-50% of their oils...

 (Getinet et al. 1997), making it a poor choice for general cultivation as an oilseed crop in comparison to the closely related Brassica napus (canola).
The plant is also grown as a leaf vegetable

Leaf vegetable

Leaf vegetables, also called potherbs, green vegetables, greens, leafy greens or salad greens, are plant leaves eaten as a vegetable, sometimes accompanied by tender petioles and shoots...

, with a mild flavor. It is known as yabesha gomen in Amharic

Amharic language

Amharic is a Semitic language spoken in Ethiopia. It is the second most-spoken Semitic language in the world, after Arabic, and the official working language of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. Thus, it has official status and is used nationwide. Amharic is also the official or working...

. Named varieties include Texsel, which is particularly adapted to temperate climates.

The flowers are very attractive to honey bees which collect both pollen and nectar.