Cabbage is a popular cultivar of the species Brassica oleracea Linne (Capitata group) of the Brassicaceae (or cruciferous) family and is a green leafy vegetable. It is a biennial herbaceous flowering dicotyledonous plant distinguished by its short stem, upon which grows a mass of leaves (usually green, but in some varieties red or purple) which, when immature, form a characteristic compact, globular head (cabbage).The word broccoli, formed as the plural of the Italian broccolo, refers to the flowering tops of a cabbage. Broccoli is classified within the Italica group of the Brassica oleracea species. It has large, usually green, flower heads arranged in a tree-like fashion on branches that sprout from a thick, edible stem and are surrounded by leaves. Broccoli is very similar to cauliflower, which is a cultivar of the same species.