Brassica oleracea

We got some kohlrabi from the farmshare this week, and the newsletter mentioned that it shared a botanical name with broccoli. This seemed impossible to me, but Wiki says it's true. But that's only the beginning of it! Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Kale, Collard greens, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoflower, and the others are all merely cultivars of Brassica oleracea. This blows my mind. Cultivars in most plants are much more similar. For instance, the flower color may be different, or the leaves may have variegations or, in the case of vegetables, there may be variations in the sweetness, color, length, etc. of the vegetable. For instance, a short sweet carrot, or a purple carrot. But the fact that these two veggies are just cultivars of the same plant? Unbelievable.

(PS: more mindblow for me: broccorabbi, bok choi, nappa cabbage and turnips are all cultivars of Brassica rapa!) The more I learn, the more I realize I don't have any freaking idea of how things are.