RAPHANUS RAPHANISTRUM

Family and Genus:- See- CRUCIFERAE

Common Names:- Wild radish

Homotypic Synonyms:- Raphanistrum raphanistrum, Raphanistrum vulgare,

Raphanus sylvestris, Rapistrum raphanistrum.

Meaning:- Raphanus (L) Radish.

Raphanistrum (L) Like a wild Raphanus.

General description:- Plant annual or biennial, usually more or less hispid.

Stem:-

1) 15-70 cm, sparingly branched, often suffused purple towards the base.

Leaves:-

1) Basal, and lower cauline, lyrate.

2) Upper, usually entire.

Flowers:-

1) Sepals, 5-10 mm, elliptic-lanceolate, obtuse;

2) Petals, about twice as long as the sepals, white, yellow, lilac or violet.

3) Pedicels, 1-5 cm in fruit.

Fruit:-

1) Siliqua, erecto-patent. cylindrical, 15-60 x 3-9 mm, conspicuously constricted

between the seeds to form 2-12 segments. Breaking easily at the 2 joints.

2) Seeds, 1·5-4 mm, ovoid to subglobose, usually reticulate.

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Habitat:- Weed of cultivated land, occasionally in olive groves, woodland margins

and coastal habitats. 0-1300 m.

Distribution:- Mainly in the W & C Mediterranean region. limited occurrence on

Crete, but probably under recorded.

Flowering time:- Mar-Aug.

Photos by:- Enda McMullen