Cauliflower is a type of cabbage that features a condensed head of thick, incompletely developed flowers and stalks, which typically have the appearance of white curd. Grown domestically since the days of ancient Rome, the vegetable is widely consumed in raw, cooked, and pickled form. The plant from which the cauliflower is derived exhibits large leaves, which are usually used to cover the developing edible head in the field so that it is not damaged or yellowed by the direct light of the sun. More difficult to grow than other kinds of cabbage, cauliflower is a cool-season vegetable that does not hold up well if disturbed by excessive heat, drought, cold, or a number of other factors. Cauliflower also bruises easily and must be handled with care. A green variety of the vegetable, developed in the 1980s, is a hybrid of broccoli and traditional cauliflower.