noun
rape plant; oilseed rape; Brassica campestris
Refers to the rape plant, a species of Brassica cultivated for its oil-rich seeds. Cross-referenced with 油菜 (あぶらな), which is a synonym.
See also: 油菜 (あぶらな)
菜種菜は、菜の花の一種で、種子から油を採るために栽培される。
The rape plant is a type of field mustard, cultivated for extracting oil from its seeds.
春になると、菜種菜の黄色い花が一面に咲く。
In spring, the yellow flowers of the rape plant bloom across the fields.
Compound of 菜種 (なたね, 'rapeseed') + 菜 (な, 'vegetable, greens'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the name straightforwardly describes the plant as the 'rapeseed vegetable'.