Raphanus sativus
(radish)

Preferred Common Name

• radish

Other Scientific Names

• Raphanus candidus
• Raphanus raphanistrum subsp. sativus (L.) Domin
• Raphanus sativus var. caudatus L.H. Bailey
• Raphanus sativus var. niger J. Kern
• Raphanus sativus var. oleiferus
• Raphanus sativus var. oleiformis Pers.
• Raphanus sativus var. sativus

International Common Names

• Spanish: rabanó
• French: petit radis; radis d'hiver; ravonet
• Arabic: fugl
• Chinese: lor bark
• Portuguese: rabanete; rabao

Local Common Names

• France: radis
• Germany: Radies; Rettig
• Italy: radice; ramolaccio; ravanello; ravano
• Japan: daikon
• Netherlands: radijs; ramenas, tuin-
• Philippines: labanos
• Sweden: rädisa; raettika, gaards-
• Vietnam: cu-cai trang

EPPO code

• RAPSN (Raphanus sativus var. niger)
• RAPSR (Raphanus sativus)

• Domain: Eukaryota
•     Kingdom: Plantae
•         Phylum: Spermatophyta
•             Subphylum: Angiospermae
•                 Class: Dicotyledonae
•                     Order: Capparidales
•                         Family: Brassicaceae
•                             Genus: Raphanus
•                                 Species: Raphanus sativus

The following wild species, closely related to the cultivated radish, possibly contributed to its origin: R. raphanistrum, distributed in the Mediterranean, western Asia and in Europe; R. maritimus, occurring along the coasts of the Atlantic Ocean in Europe, of the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea; R. raphanistrum subsp. landra; and R. rostratus, distributed from Greece eastwards to the Caspian Sea. Sometimes these related species are considered as one species complex named R. raphanistrum, with the different taxa classified as subspecies. R. sativus crosses freely with the related wild species. R. sativus is also closely related to several Brassica species and to Sinapisarvensis (charlock), with which it has also been successfully crossed.

Radish cultivars are classified into cultivar groups, but often a practical grouping of cultivars according to growing period, root shape and colour is followed.

Erect, annual, more or less densely hairy herb, 20-100 cm tall; upper part of taproot and hypocotyl swollen, tuberous, globular, cylindrical or tapering, very variable in size, form and weight, red to white, sometimes grey to black, flesh white, sometimes red; stem at first short, growing out towards anthesis, hollow. 

Leaves alternate, glabrous to sparingly hispid; lower leaves in a radical rosette, petioles 3-5.5 cm long, leaf-blades oblong, oblong-ovate to lyrate-pinnatifid, 3-5-jugate with a round or ovate terminal lobe, 5-30 cm long; higher leaves much smaller, shortly petioled, lanceolate-spathulate, subdentate.   

Inflorescence a terminal, erect, long, many-flowered raceme; flowers 1.5 cm in diameter, fragrant, white to lilac; pedicel up to 2.5 cm long; sepals 4, oblong-linear, 6-10 mm long; petals 4, spathulate, clawed, 1-2 cm long; stamens 6, tetradynamous; style 3-4 mm long. Fruit cylindrical, up to 10-30 cm x 1.5 cm, consisting of 2- several superposed joints, lower joint very short and seedless, upper one(s) much larger, terete, spongy and divided into 2-12 one-seeded compartments, indehiscent, with a long, seedless beak. Seed ovoid-globose, about 3 mm in diameter, yellowish.   

The cv. group Chinese Radish is very variable. The smaller forms (South-East Asia) have white, cylindrical roots, 10-25 cm x 4-5 cm. Larger forms (China, Japan) can attain a weight of 20 kg, with leaves up to 60 cm long and with 8-12 pairs of pinnae. The cv. group Leaf Radish has no swollen roots. In cv. group Rat-tailed Radish, fruits can attain 30 cm or more in length. The cv. group Small Radish has globose roots, ellipsoid or cylindrical, 0.5-4 cm x 0.5-4 cm, red, white, red and white or violet.

Radish is grown mainly for its thickened fleshy root. Small or western radishes are pungent and prized as a relish or appetizer and for adding colour to dishes. The oriental radish (cv. group Chinese Radish), being crisp with mild flavour, plays a much wider role in South-East Asia. The roots are thinly peeled, sliced or diced and put into soups and sauces or cooked with meat. They can be preserved in salt. Sometimes, as in the Philippines, they are eaten fresh, mixed with other vegetables like tomato. Tops (leaves) are eaten as salad or spinach. Seedlings known as radish sprouts are used as greens for appetizers or cooked as spinach. Cv. group Rat-tailed Radish is grown for the immature seed pods, consumed raw, cooked or pickled. Leaf radish is mainly grown as green manure, forage or as a catch crop (central and western Europe).

Banga O, 1976. Radish. In: Simmonds NW, ed. Evolution of crop plants. London, UK: Longman, 60-62.

Capecka-E; Libik-A, 1993. Description of usable traits of Japanese radish Raphanus sativus L. ssp. raphanistroides (Makino) in field conditions. Folia Horticulturae, 5(2):69-78.

Dias LS, Moreira I, 1988. Allelopathic interactions between vegetable crops and weeds. Weed control in Vegetable Production. Proceedings of a Meeting of the EC Experts' Group, 197-211.

Herklots GAC, 1972. Vegetables in South-East Asia. London, UK: George Allen & Unwin, 39-143.

Larkcom J, 1991. Oriental Vegetables. The Complete Guide for Garden and Kitchen. London, UK: John Murray, 111-120.

Sarveshwar Dayal, Verma TS, Lakhanpal KD, Ramesh Chand, 1991. Response of radish cultivars to different sowing dates. Haryana Journal of Horticultural Sciences, 20(3/4):218-225.

Tindall HD, 1983. Vegetables in the tropics. London, UK: MacMillan, 133-137.

Tisbe VO, 1967. Carrot, garden beet, radish and turnip. In: Knott JE, Deanon JR Jr, eds. Vegetable production in South-East Asia. Los Baños, Philippines, University of the Philippines Press, 305-317.

Wilson RG, Kerr ED, Provance P, 1994. Growth and development of oil-radish and yellow mustard in Nebraska. Journal of Sugar Beet Research. 1994, 30:159-167.