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Brassica oleracea var. oleracea is the surviving wild progenitor of wild cabbage

Its native range includes coastal limestone cliffs of western Europe, especially along the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts, from northern Spain through France, and Britain to the Balkans.

The salty, well-drained soils on sea cliffs provide minimal competition from other plants, and create decent habitat

It is a hardy, biennial plant with large, waxy leaves rich in glucosinolates, or compounds that deter herbivores
The plant not especially palatable at first but can take a few years.

Initial selection likely began in the Mediterranean, with neolithic farmers
They begin selecting for plants with tender, enlarged leaves; tolerance for cultivation inland; and, a mild flavor, or better cooking properties

Domestication took a modular path, meaning that different human groups, selected different traits, over time
It produced distinct morphotypes

Traits created types including:

Tightly packed terminal leaves (head); cabbage: B. oleracea var. capitata

Loose, leafy foliage; kale: B. oleracea var. acephala

Enlarged flower buds; broccoli: B. oleracea var. italica

Dense inflorescence meristem; cauliflower: oleracea var. botrytis

Axillary buds along stem; brussels sprouts: B. oleracea var. gemmifera

Swollen stem base; kohlrabi: B. oleracea var. gongylodes
And, others

Each of these types still belongs to the same species B. oleracea
Domestication represents a distinct variety, shaped by artificial selection.

B. oleracea has an unusually flexible genome, making it amenable to morphological changes
Over thousands of years, it helped creating cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprout, collard, Savoy cabbage, kohlrabi, and gai lan.

Vegetative Propagation and seed selection also played a strong role in fixing desirable traits.

More modern studies show that relatively few genes control key traits
Including apical dominance, leaf size, and bud formation.

Neolithic people would have cultivated several forms of leafy cabbage, used both as food and medicine
The brassica oleracea family of vegetables contains hundreds of of health benefits, like vitamin C, vitamin K, beta-carotene, and glucosinolates. They were also a
great source of soluble fiber.

The domestication of brassica oleracea begin during the neolithic period. It was driven by early farmers selection for edible foliage, and other desirable traits. Over centuries, this single wild plant gave rise to an incredible diversity of vegetables. A magnificent process shaped by health, and taste; climate, and agricultural practice.

Bibliography: “Wild Cabbage (Brassica oleracea)” (https://www.botanic.cam.ac.uk/learning/trails/dnatrail/cabbage/). Cambridge University Botanic Garden. University of Cambridge Museums and Botanic Garden

Gledhill, David (2008). “The Names of Plants”. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521866453 (hardback), ISBN 9780521685535 (paperback). Pg. 76

Mabry, Makenzie E; Turner-Hissong, Sarah D; Gallagher, Evan Y; McAlvay, Alex C; An, Hong; Edger, Patrick P; Moore, Jonathan D; Pink, David A C; Teakle, Graham R; Stevens, Chris J; Barker, Guy; Labate, Joanne; Fuller, Dorian Q; Allaby, Robin G; Beissinger, Timothy; Decker, Jared E; Gore, Michael A & Pires, J Chris (2021). “The Evolutionary History of Wild, Domesticated, and Feral Brassica oleracea (Brassicaceae)” (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8476135). Molecular Biology and Evolution. 38 (10): 4419–4434. doi:10.1093/
molbev/msab183 (https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fmolbev%2Fmsab183). PMC 8476135 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8476135). PMID 34157722 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.g
ov/34157722)