Wild radish (Raphanus raphanistrum): Weed management guide for Australian vegetable production

Abstract

Wild radish (Raphanus raphanistrum) is an erect or spreading annual herbaceous plant, native to the Mediterranean region, growing up to 1 m in height. 2 // Priority weed management Wild radish stems are bluish-green, often red towards the base, covered with prickly hairs, and up to 1 m in height. The young plant forms as a rosette, branching from near the base as it matures. Plants form a taproot which can be up to 160 cm in length, with a dense mass of roots in the upper 20 cm of soil.Rosette and lower stem leaves are grass-green through to blue-green, stalked, 15 to 30 cm in length, and deeply lobed. Upper stem leaves are narrow, shorter and often undivided. Leaves are covered with short stiff bristles, making them rough to touch.Flowers are usually either white or pale yellow, but occasionally purple. Flowers have violet-coloured veins, and feature four petals between 12 and 20 mm in length. They are grouped in open arrangements at the end of stem branches.The fruit forms as a celled pod, up to 8 cm in length and 3 to 6 mm in width, constricted between the seeds, on stalks about 1.5 cm long. When mature, the yellow-brown seed pods break into distinct segments resembling a string of beads, with 1 to 10 seeds per pod.Figure 1 includes a series of photos of wild radish at different life stages, from a young seedling through to a mature flowering plant. This includes images of the flowers (white and yellow varieties) and seed pod.