Cabbages and Cauliflowers: How to Grow Them - James John Howard Gregory - Platanus Publishing

“Botanists tell us that all of the Cabbage family, which includes not only ever y variety of cabbage, Red, White, and Savoy, but all the cauliflower, broccoli, kale, and brussels sprouts, had their origin in the wild cabbage of Europe (Brassica oleracea), a plant with green, wavy leaves, much resembling charlock, found growing wild at Dover in England, and other parts of Europe. This plant, says McIntosh, is mostly confined to the sea-shore, and grows only on chalky or calcareous soils..”