[3] Given the wide range of climate and ecological conditions of these regions, B. elongata has been able to disrupt the ecosystems of their native plant habitats and has been label as an invasive species in many of its naturalized zones.

[4] Commonly known as the long-stalked rape or as langtraubiger Kohl in German, this species is a close cousin to Brassica napus (rapeseed) and a secondary genetic relative to B. oleracea (kale).

[3] As a close genetic species of the rapeseed, the long-stalked rape has one of the highest counts of accumulated polyunsaturated linoleic and linolenic acid.

[3][5] Brassica elongata is a native species that spreads from Eastern European countries starting from Austria to the Asian-Temperate that extends to Afghanistan and Iran.

There are also areas in Northern Africa near Morocco with similar arid climates that have B. elongata as a native species.

integrifolia was discovered by John Thomas Howell, an American botanist, while driving on the roadsides of US Highway 50 in the east-central regions of Nevada.

Research has shown that increased deficiencies in these polyunsaturated fatty acids lead to a higher rate of diseases for human populations in industrialized countries.

While the USDA has labeled B. elongata as a noxious weed, cultivating this plant in its natural harsh and arid climate in order to harvest its organic compounds has a promising upside in a low risk scenario.