Raphanus raphanistrum L.

Global description

Raphanus raphanistrum is an erect herbaceous plant, with deep taproot. The stem is straight, often tinged with purple and usually branching. It is dotted with silky hairs. The leaves are cut, the terminal division being larger than the lateral divisions. Near the inflorescence, they are small, in spearhead shape, divided or serrated. The flowers are grouped in clusters. They are pale yellow or white. The fruit is fusiform, formed of articles being detached from each other at maturity, giving the appearance of a rosary. Each article contains a rounded brown seed.
 
Cotyledons

Large cotyledons, 25 to 35 mm long and 9 to 17 mm wide. The lamina is glabrous, petiolate, reniform, slightly wider than long, deeply notched. The main and secondary veins are well marked. Presence of a few hairs located at the base of the petiole.
 
First leaves

First leaves simple, alternate, arranged in rosette. The first two leaves are obovate with sinuate serrated margins, often lobed, sometimes divided. The subsequent leaves are obovate, all divided into many sinuate serrated segments whose terminal segment is greater than the lateral segments. They are short-stalked. The faces are covered with dense bristling hairs, slightly rough to the touch.
 
General habit

Herbaceous plant, erect, reaching up to 30-80 cm high.
 
Underground system

The plant has a strong taproot.
 
Stem

Cylindrical stem, full, up to 2 cm in diameter, glaucous, often tinged with purple and usually branched. It can be woody at the base. It is bristled with multicellular erect or recurved hairs.
 
Leaf

Leaves simple, alternate, erect, in oval shape, deeply and irregularly lobed, measuring up to 20 cm long and 8 cm wide. They are carried by a petiole of very variable size, winged edge because of the more or less decurrent base of the lamina. The lamina is formed of 3 to 5 oval lateral serrated lobes, becoming larger towards the tip and a wide angled terminal lobe very large at the apex. The margin is sinuate serrated. In the top part of the plant, the leaves are smaller, lanceolate, barely divided or only serrated. Both sides are covered with dense bristling hairs, slightly rough to the touch.
 
Inflorescence

The inflorescence is a long branched terminal cluster.
 
Flower

The flowers are carried by a pedicel of 2 cm long. The calyx comprises of 4 lanceolate sepals, 5 to 10 mm long, and lined vertically and stocked with small multicellular hairs, forming a reddish tube that hides the base of the petals. The corolla has four obovate shape pale yellow or white color petals of 10-24 mm long with visible purplish veins. The base (groove) is very narrow and the apex, wide and rounded. 6 stamens, 2 shorter, with yellow anthers.
 
Fruit

The fruit is a large indehiscent pod, 3 to 8 cm long and 2 to 4 mm wide, smooth, longitudinally striated. It ends with a long beak and is divided at maturity into ovoid or oblong articles, giving the appearance of a rosary.
 
Seed

Seed ovoid to globular, reticulate, and yellowish to brown. 2 to 3 mm long.

Origin

Raphanus raphanistrum is native to the paleo-temperate regions (Mediterranean Basin and Western Europe).

Worldwide distribution

This species has been introduced in all temperate and subtropical regions of the world.

Algeria: A fairly common species in the Tell.

https://www.gbif.org/species/3040983