CRUCIFER4E 



CRUCIFER^E MUSTARD FAMILY 



Raphanus Raphanistrum, L 



Pale yellow fading to white Wild Radish, 



Jointed Charlock, 



May-October Black Mustard, 



Wild Mustard, 

 White Charlock. 



Raphanus: Greek meaning "to appear quickly" in allusion 



to the rapid germination of the plant. 

 Raphanistrum: from Greek signifying quick-appearing, in 



allusion to its rapid germination. 



THE PREFERRED HABITAT: neglected fields, roadsides. 



THE PLANT: erect, one foot to two and one half feet high, 

 freely branching; the stem with scattered short, soft hairs 

 on the lower part, or rarely hairless throughout. 



THE LEAVES: basal or those of the stem alternate; the 

 basal and lower deeply lyrate or pinnatifid, with a large 

 lobe at the end, and four to six pairs of successively smaller 

 ones; four inches to eight inches long; the upper, few, small, 

 oblong; all thin and round-toothed. 



THE FLOWERS: small, purplish veined, on stems which 

 become very long; four petals; four sepals, which fall early. 



THE FRUIT: a pod, one inch long or more, nearly cylindric; 

 when fresh, constricted between the seeds, like a series of 

 beads. 



The Wild Radish is a straggly plant that springs up 

 in neglected fields, by roadsides, or even, alas! on lawns, 

 and has small, but staring flowers with pale yellow petals 

 that soon fade to white. 



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