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Ontario Weeds: Wild radish

Author: OMAFRA Staff
Creation Date: 01 June 2000
Last Reviewed: 01 November 2003

Return to the Ontario Weeds Gallery

Excerpt from Publication 505, Ontario Weeds, Order this publication

Table of Contents

  1. Name
  2. Other Names
  3. Family
  4. General Description
  5. Stems and Roots
  6. Leaves
  7. Flowers and Fruit
  8. Habitat
  9. Similar Species
  10. Related Links

Name: Wild radish, Raphanus raphanistrum L.,

Other Names: jointed charlock, Jointed radish, Jointed wild radish, radis sauvage, ravenelle

Family: Mustard Family (Cruciferae)

General Description: Annual, reproducing only by seed.

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Photos and Pictures

Wild radish.

Wild radish. Lower portion of a plant in flower, and a portion of the inflorescence with developing seedpods.

Wild radish. Lower portion of a plant in flower, and a portion of the inflorescence with developing seedpods.

Wild radish.

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Stems & Roots: Stems either smooth or with short, bristly hairs, arising from a stout taproot to a height of 20-80cm (8-32in.).

Leaves: Lower leaves obovate-oblong, 5-20cm (2-8in.), pinnately lobed into 5 to 15 oblong segments; segments nearer the stem very small, those further out progressively larger; the upper leaves reduced.

Flowers & Fruit: Petals usually white with violet veins, or occasionally yellow or purple-violet, 10-20mm (2/5-4/5in.) long; seedpods (siliques) nearly cylindric when fresh, but when dry becoming several-ribbed lengthwise and prominently constricted between the seeds such that the 1- to 10-seeded pods somewhat resemble beads on a string; the seed-bearing portion 2-4cm (4/5-1 1/2in.) long and 3-6mm (1/8-¼in.) thick, and tipped with a seedless beak 1-3cm (2/5-1¼in.) long. Flowers from June to October.

Habitat: Wild radish occurs in scattered localities in southern and eastern Ontario in fields, waste places and roadsides.

Similar Species: It is distinguished by its lower leaves being deeply parted, its usually white petals being conspicuously violet-veined, and its characteristic "string-of-beads" seedpods with long, seedless beaks.

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Related Links

... on general Weed topics
... on weed identification, order OMAFRA Publication 505: Ontario Weeds
... on weed control, order OMAFRA Publication 75: Guide To Weed Control

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