Raphanus sativus L.

Herb

Raphanus species are annual or biennial or rarely short lived perennials, glabrous or pubescent with simple trichomes, not scapose. Rootstocks slender in wild, fleshy and variable in shape, size, etc in cultivated. Stem erect, ascending, leafy, simple or branched. Basal leaves in rosulate or not, oblanceolate to oblong in outline, margin pinnatifid, pinnatisect to lyrately lobed, apex obtuse, petiole short to subsessile, cauline leaves similar to basal but gradually smaller, base not auriculate, margin becoming shallow lobed to dentate towards the shoot, petiole subsessile to sessile towards the shoot. Inflorescence raceme corymbs, many flowered, considerably elongated in fruit, ebracteate. Flowers bisexual, white, yellow, pale blue, purple, pink, with visible dark veins, pedicel erect or slightly curved, divaricate, slender, ascending, sepals 4, erect, linear oblong, inner lateral pair base slightly saccate, outer pair slightly hooded below the tips, petals 4, obovate-oblong to spathulate, much longer than sepals, with distinct darker veins, margins entire, apex rounded to subemarginate, claw distinct. Stamens 6, tetradynamous, filaments not dilated near the base, not appendaged, anthers linear-oblong, apex obtuse, nectar glands 4, lateral and median glands present. Ovary superior, bicarpellary, awl-shaped, ovules 2-22. Fruit siliqua or silicle, indehiscent, linear cylindrical lomentum, fusiform, lanceolate, biarticulated, sessile, terete, erect or slightly curved, smooth or torulose, valvular segments rudimentary, terminal segment many seed, beak long, valves glabrous, replum and septum not differentiated, style obsolete, stigma capitate, slightly bilobed. Seeds uniseriate, brown, plump, ovate-ovoid, not winged, surface minutely reticulate or smooth, not mucilaginous when soaked, cotyledons conduplicate.

Raphanus species flowers are complete, bisexual, i.e., with functional male (androecium) and female (gynoecium), including stamens, carpels and ovary. Pollination is entomophilous i.e., by insects, or cleistogamy i.e., by self or allogamy i.e., by cross pollination. Flowering/Fruiting: January—August.

Seeds may be dispersed by autochory i.e., self dispersal, anemochory i.e., wind dispersal, zoochory i.e., dispersal by birds or animals, anthropochory i.e., dispersal by humans.

Annual or biennial herbs, glabrous to sparsely pubescent with simple trichomes, about 20-100 cm tall, not scapose. Rootstocks fleshy, fusiform and sometimes napiform, taproot. Stem erect, ascending, leafy, usually simple at the base, branched above, densely pubescent near the base and glabrous above. Basal leaves in rosulate, oblanceolate-oblong to obovate in outline, about 3-60 x 1-15 cm across, margin lyrately pinnatifid to pinnatisect with 3-7 pairs, rarely undivided, lateral lobes near the base smaller gradually becoming larger towards suborbicular terminal lobe, margins along the lobes dentate, apex obtuse, petiole about 1-25 cm long, cauline leaves smaller, distal, broadly ovate to lanceolate, lamina not divided, base not auriculate, margin dentate, apex obtuse to acute, petiole subsessile to sessile. Inflorescence racemes, many flowered, elongated in fruit, up to 40 cm long in fruit, ebracteate. Flowers bisexual, white, cream white, pale yellow, purple, pink, blue, with visible dark veins, pedicel erect or slightly curved, divaricate, slender, ascending, about 10-25 mm long, sepals 4, erect, linear oblong, inner lateral pair base slightly saccate, outer pair slightly hooded below the tips, sparsely pubescent, about 5-10 x 1-2 mm across, petals 4, obovate-oblong to spathulate, much longer than sepals, with distinct dark brown veins, margins entire, apex rounded to subemarginate, about 12-25 x 5-7 mm across, claw distinct, about 15 mm long. Stamens 6, tetradynamous, filaments not dilated near the base, not appendaged, about 5-12 mm long, anthers linear-oblong, apex obtuse, about 1.5-2 mm long, nectar glands 4, lateral and median glands present. Ovary superior, bicarpellary, awl-shaped, ovules 10-12. Fruit siliqua or silicle, indehiscent, linear cylindrical lomentum, lanceolate, ellipsoid, biarticulated, slightly constricted between 3-8 seeds, about 2-8 x 0.5-1.2 cm across, sessile, terete, erect or slightly curved, smooth, valvular segments about 1-4 mm long, terminal segment many seed, slightly constricted along 1 seeded joints at maturity, beak slender, about 1-3 cm long, valves glabrous, replum rounded, septum complete, style about 1-5 cm long, stigma capitate, slightly bilobed. Seeds uniseriate, brown, plump, ovate-ovoid, about 2.5-4 mm long, not winged, surface minutely reticulate or smooth, not mucilaginous when soaked, cotyledons conduplicate.

Raphanus species are susceptible to various insect pests, virus, mildews and moulds.

Notes: Cultivated

Cultivated

Cultivated fields.

Not evaluated (IUCN).

Widely cultivated, used as vegetable and medicine.