Raphanus sativus

Notes: Cultivated

This introduced annual or biennial plant consists of a rosette of leaves; somewhat later, it bolts and produces flowering stems up to 2½' tall. The basal leaves are up to 7" long and 2½" across; they are oblanceolate, coarsely crenate, and pinnately lobed. These lobes may be shallow or deep; the terminal lobe is always the largest. The surface of the basal leaves is usually rough from stiff hairs. The central stem is often reddish at the base, but light green elsewhere; it is either glabrous or covered with scattered stiff hairs. The upper side stems are very similar, except that there is often a red ring where they branch from the central stem. The alternate leaves on the stems are similar in appearance to the basal leaves, except that they are smaller, less likely to be deeply lobed, and narrowly ovate in shape.  The central and upper stems terminate in racemes of flowers. Each flower is about 1/3" across, consisting of 4 pink or light purple petals, 4 light green sepals that are linear-oblong, a central pistil, and several stamens with yellow anthers. The blooming period occurs during the summer and lasts about 1–1½ months. Each flower is replaced by a silique that contains 2-3 seeds. This silique is rather short and spongy, but it has a long beak. There is very little constriction between the seeds, if any. The seeds are oval-shaped, slightly flattened, and reddish brown. The root system consists of a stout taproot that is somewhat fleshy. It is often reddish, but other color forms occur. This plant spreads by reseeding itself.

This familiar vegetable is eaten primarily for its fleshy taproot, which has a peppery flavor. The foliage can be eaten as well, but it is somewhat coarse. Many different cultivars have been developed, and escaped plants may vary somewhat in the appearance of their foliage and taproots. Another species, Raphanus raphanistrum (Wild Radish), has a similar appearance to Garden Radish. However, Wild Radish has yellow flowers and its siliques have 4-10 seeds. The siliques of Wild Radish become constricted between the seeds with maturity, and they tend to be a little longer and more slender than the siliques of Garden Radish.

sativus: cultivated, not wild

Canada

Origin: Exotic

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

United States

Origin: Exotic

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Unknown/Undetermined

Confidence: Confident

Raphanus sativus L.:
Argentina (South America)
Belize (Mesoamerica)
Brazil (South America)
Canada (North America)
Chile (South America)
Costa Rica (Mesoamerica)
Ecuador (South America)
Mexico (Mesoamerica)
Madagascar (Africa & Madagascar)
Peru (South America)
United States (North America)
Honduras (Mesoamerica)
Panama (Mesoamerica)
South Africa (Africa & Madagascar)
Greenland (North America)
Gabon (Africa & Madagascar)
Guatemala (Mesoamerica)
El Salvador (Mesoamerica)
China (Asia)
Bolivia (South America)
Colombia (South America)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.

Herbs annual or biennial, 10-130 cm tall, glabrous, scabrous, or hispid. Roots fleshy, white, pink, red, or black, linear, fusiform, oblong, or globose, 1-100 × 0.5-45 cm, sometimes slender and not fleshy. Stems simple or branched. Basal leaves with petioles 1-30 cm; leaf blade oblong, obovate, oblanceolate, or spatulate in outline, 2-60 × 1-20 cm, lyrate or pinnatisect, sometimes undivided, margin dentate, apex obtuse or acute; lateral lobes 1-12 on each side of midvein, sometimes absent, oblong or ovate, to 10 × 5 cm. Uppermost cauline leaves subsessile, often undivided, dentate. Fruiting pedicels divaricate or ascending, straight, 0.5-4 cm. Sepals narrowly oblong, 5.5-10 × 1-2 mm, glabrous or sparsely pubescent. Petals purple, pink, or sometimes white, often with darker veins, broadly obovate, 1.2-2.2 cm × 3-8 mm, apex obtuse or emarginate; claw to 1.4 cm. Filaments slender, 5-12 mm; anthers 1.5-2 mm, sagittate at base. Fruit fusiform or lanceolate, sometimes ovoid or cylindric; seedless valvular segment 1-3.5 mm; seed-bearing distal segment (1-)3-15(-25) × (0.5-)0.7-1.3(-1.5) cm, corky, rounded at base, conical at apex, smooth or rarely slightly constricted between seeds, not ribbed; style 1-4 cm; stigma entire. Seeds globose or ovoid, 2.5-4 mm in diam. Fl. and fr. depending on cultivation time. 2n = 18*.

Raphanus acanthiformis J. M. Morel; R. chinensis Miller (1768), not (Linnaeus) Crantz (1769); R. macropodus H. Léveillé; R. niger Miller; R. raphanistroides (Makino) Nakai; R. raphanistrum Linnaeus var. sativus (Linnaeus) Domin; R. sativus var. macropodus (H. Léveillé) Makino; R. sativus f. raphanistroides Makino; R. sativus var. raphanistroides (Makino) Makino; R. taquetii H. Léveillé.

Fields, roadsides, waste areas. Throughout China [native to the Mediterranean region; cultivated worldwide].

The flowers attract small bees, flower flies, and White butterflies, including Pieris rapae (Cabbage White) and Pontia protodice (Checkered White). The caterpillars of these butterflies may feed on the foliage, although other members of the Mustard family with smoother leaves appear to be preferred. Rabbits occasionally eat the basal leaves and lower leaves of the flowering stems. Photographic Location

Foodplant / spot causer
amphigenous colony of Alternaria dematiaceous anamorph of Alternaria brassicicola causes spots on live leaf of Raphanus sativus
Other: unusual host/prey

In Great Britain and/or Ireland:
Foodplant / spot causer
colony of Alternaria dematiaceous anamorph of Alternaria raphani causes spots on live leaf of Raphanus sativus

Foodplant / open feeder
gregarious larva of Athalia rosae grazes on leaf (underside) of Raphanus sativus
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / internal feeder
larva of Delia radicum feeds within live root of Raphanus sativus

Foodplant / parasite
Erysiphe cruciferarum parasitises live Raphanus sativus

Foodplant / spot causer
colony of Pseudocercosporella anamorph of Mycosphaerella capsellae causes spots on live leaf of Raphanus sativus

Foodplant / parasite
colony of sporangium of Peronospora parasitica parasitises live Raphanus sativus
Remarks: season: 1-4
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / spot causer
Radish Mosaic virus causes spots on live, crinkled leaf of Raphanus sativus

Foodplant / pathogen
colony of Streptomyces infects and damages live twig of Raphanus sativus

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 8
Specimens with Barcodes: 11
Species With Barcodes: 1

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 0
Specimens with Barcodes: 1
Species With Barcodes: 1

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: NNA - Not Applicable

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: NNA - Not Applicable

Rounded Global Status Rank: GNR - Not Yet Ranked

These species are introduced in Switzerland.

The preference is full sun and moist to mesic soil that is fertile and loamy. The Garden Radish also does well in slightly sandy soil if it is sufficiently moist and fertile. It develops rapidly from seed during the spring and bolts during hot summer weather. The leaves often have holes from various insect pests. Range & Habitat