Raphanus rostratus, Raphanus pugioniformis,
Dagger Radish, צנון פיגיוני
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| | Scientific name: |
| Raphanus rostratus DC. |
| Synonym name: |
| Raphanus pugioniformis Boiss. |
| Common name: |
| Dagger Radish |
| Hebrew name: |
| צנון פיגיוני |
| Family: |
| Cruciferae (Brassicaceae), מצליבים |
Date Picture Taken: April 8, 2008
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| | Life form: |
| Therophyte, annual |
| Leaves: |
| Alternate, dissected, dentate or serrate |
| Flowers: |
| Violet |
| Flowering Period: |
| March, April |
| Habitat: |
| Batha, Phrygana |
| Distribution: |
| Mediterranean Woodlands and Shrublands, Semi-steppe shrublands, Montane vegetation of Mt. Hermon |
| Chorotype: |
| Mediterranean |
| Summer shedding: |
| Ephemeral |
Date Picture Taken: April 8, 2008
Derivation of the botanical name:
Raphanus, Greek raphanos, "quick-appearing" because of the rapid germination of the seeds.
rostratus, beaked.
pugioniformis, dagger-shaped.
- The standard author abbreviation DC. is used to indicate Augustin Pyramus de Candolle (1778 – 1841), a Swiss botanist.
- The standard author abbreviation Boiss. is used to indicate Pierre Edmond Boissier (1810 – 1885), a Swiss botanist, explorer and mathematician.
Herodotus, Greek historian (approx. 484 B.C-425 BCE), wrote that pyramidbuilders received their pay in 'radishes, onions and garlic'. In Egypt, Raphanus was used as a vegetable and a medicine.
Pliny (23-79 CE), Natural History, Book XIV.XXVI.78-88 : 'In Egypt the radish is held in remarkable esteem because it produces oil, which they make from its seed. The people are very fond of sowing radish seed if opportunity offers, because they make more profit from it than from corn and have a smaller duty to pay on it, and because no plant there yields a larger supply of oil. ...and in Egypt, where they are remarkeble for sweetness'. He also quotes the Egyptians for using it for medical purposes.
Date Picture Taken: March 12, 2009
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