Wild radish
General poisoning notes:
Wild radish (Raphanus raphanistrum) is a naturalized herb found across most of Canada. This plant, like the cultivated radish (Raphanus sativus) contains glucosinolates in the seeds, which can cause poisoning if eaten in sufficient quantities by livestock. Symptoms are similar to those discussed in the general notes under Brassica oleracea.
Description:
Wild radish grows as an annual or biennial plant, with attractive four-petalled flowers 15-20 mm across and varying in colour, usually from white to purple but sometimes light orange to yellow, often with colour shading within a single petal. It is frost hardy, and even hard freezes only temporarily interrupt bloom. It blooms in early spring to late summer with flowers very similar to those of the searocket, which is found in some of the same regions and is easily distinguished from it by having thinner, non-succulent stems and leaves. It has a single taproot which is similar to that of the cultivated radish but less enlarged.
Raphanus raphanistrum L.
Nomenclature:
Scientific Name: Raphanus raphanistrum L.
Vernacular name(s): wild radish
Scientific family name: Cruciferae
Vernacular family name: mustard
Geographic Information:
British Columbia, Labrador, New Brunswick, Ontario Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan.
Toxic parts:
Seeds.
Notes on Toxic plant chemicals:
Glucosinolates are contained in the seeds of this plant. See the discussions on these toxins in general notes under Brassica oleracea.
Toxic plant chemicals:
Glucosinolates.
Glucosinolates
Chemical diagram(s) are courtesy of Ruth McDiarmid, Biochemistry Technician, Kamloops Range Station, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Kamploops, British Columbia, Canada.
Animals/Human Poisoning:
Note: When an animal is listed without additional information, the literature (as of 1993) contained no detailed explanation.
Cattle
General symptoms of poisoning:
Hemoglobinuria.
