Radish

Radish
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Brassicales
Family: Brassicaceae
Genus: Raphanus
Species:
Subspecies:
R. r. subsp. sativus
Trinomial name
Raphanus raphanistrum subsp. sativus
(L.) Domin
Synonyms
  • Raphanus sativus L.

The radish (Raphanus raphanistrum subsp. sativus) is an edible root vegetable of the mustard family, Brassicaceae, that was domesticated in Asia prior to Roman times.

Radishes are grown and consumed throughout the world, being mostly raw as a crunchy salad vegetable with a pungent, slightly spicy flavor, varying in intensity depending on its growing environment. There are numerous varieties varying in size, flavor, color, and length of time they take to mature. Radishes owe their sharp flavor to the various chemical compounds produced by the plants, including glucosinolate, myrosinase, and isothiocyanate. They are sometimes grown as companion plants and suffer from few pests and diseases. They germinate quickly and grow rapidly, common smaller varieties being ready for consumption within a month, while larger daikon varieties take several months. Being easy to grow and quick to harvest, radishes are often planted by novice gardeners. Another use of radish is as a cover or catch crop in winter,[1] or as a forage crop.[2] Some radishes are grown for their seeds; others, such as daikon, may be grown for oil production. Others are used for sprouting.

  1. ^ Price, Andrew J.; Jason, K. Norsworthy (2013). "Cover Crops for Weed Management in Southern Reduced-Tillage Vegetable Cropping Systems". Weed Technology (Submitted manuscript). 27 (1): 212–217. doi:10.1614/WT-D-12-00056.1. S2CID 86661605.
  2. ^ Fitzgerald, J. J.; Black, W. J. M. (1984). "Finishing Store Lambs on Green Forage Crops: 1. A Comparison of Rape, Kale and Fodder Radish as Sources of Feed for Finishing Store Lambs in Autumn". Irish Journal of Agricultural Research. 23 (2/3): 127–136. JSTOR 25556085.