BRASSICACEAE

MUSTARD FAMILY

Reed C. Rollins, except as specified

Annual to subshrub
Leaves generally basal and cauline, alternate, generally simple; stipules 0
Inflorescence: generally raceme
Flower bisexual; sepals 4, free; petals (0)4, free, generally white or yellow, often clawed; stamens generally (2,4)6, generally 4 long, 2 short; ovary 1, superior, chambers generally 2, septum membranous, connecting 2 parietal placentas, style 1, stigma simple or 2-lobed
Fruit: generally capsule ("silique") with 2 deciduous valves, sometimes breaking transversely or indehiscent
Seeds 1–many per chamber
Genera in family: 300+ genera, 3000+ species: worldwide, especially cool regions; some cultivated for food (especially Brassica, Raphanus ) and ornamental
Recent taxonomic note: Recently treated to include Capparaceae [Rodman et al. 1993 Ann Missouri Bot Gard 80:686–699; Rollins 1993 Cruciferae of Continental North America. Stanford Univ Press]
Family description, key to genera by Robert A. Price.

RAPHANUS

WILD RADISH

Annual, biennial, erect, generally scabrous, taprooted; hairs simple, rigid
Stem generally branched, especially above
Leaves: basal and lower cauline petioled, generally pinnately lobed to compound, terminal lobe or leaflet widely ovate to round, >> lateral, toothed; upper cauline short-petioled to sessile, ± dentate or few-lobed
Inflorescence many-flowered; bracts 0
Flower: sepals erect, inner pair sac-like at base; petals long-clawed
Fruit indehiscent, longitudinally grooved, especially below, transversely jointed; lower part seedless, very short, or 0; upper part seeded, linear to ovate or dagger-shaped, beaked
Seeds: 1 row per chamber, ± spheric; wing 0; cotyledons doubly folded
Species in genus: 3 species: Medit
Etymology: (Greek: appearing rapidly, from seed germination)

Introduced

R. raphanistrum L.

JOINTED CHARLOCK

Plant hairs sparse
Stem generally 1, 3–8 dm
Leaves: basal 6–20 cm
Flower: petals 15–20 mm
Fruit 4–8 cm (including beak), 3–6 mm wide; pedicel ascending, 10–25 mm
Chromosomes: 2n=18
Ecology: Disturbed areas, fields, roadsides
Elevation: < 800 m.
Bioregional distribution: California Floristic Province, Great Basin Floristic Province
Distribution outside California: N.America; native to Mediterranean Europe
Flowering time: Apr–Jun

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N.B. The distribution depicted here differs from that given in The Jepson Manual (1993)

Retrieve Jepson Interchange Index to Plant Names entry for Raphanus raphanistrum
Retrieve dichotomous key for Raphanus
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