Editing Radish (section)

{{Short description|Root vegetable of the family Brassicaceae}}
{{Hatnote| Radish may also refer to any member of the genus ''[[Raphanus]]'' (the "radishes").<br />For other uses, see [[Radish (disambiguation)]].}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Radish 3371103037 4ab07db0bf o.jpg
| genus = Raphanus 
| species = sativus
| authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|L.]]
| synonyms = * ''[[Raphanus raphanistrum]]'' subsp. ''sativus'' <small>L.</small>
}}
The '''radish''' ('''''Raphanus sativus''''') is a [[flowering plant]] in the mustard family, [[Brassicaceae]]. Its large [[taproot]] is commonly used as a [[root vegetable]], although the entire plant is edible and its [[leaf|leaves]] are sometimes used as a [[leaf vegetable]]. Originally domesticated in [[Asia]], radishes are now grown and consumed globally. The radish is sometimes considered to form a [[species complex]] with the [[wild radish]], and instead given the [[Trinomial nomenclature|trinomial name]] ''Raphanus raphanistrum'' subsp. ''sativus''.<ref name="u427">{{cite report | author=CABI | title=Raphanus sativus (radish) | date=2022-01-07 | doi=10.1079/cabicompendium.46796 | page=| doi-access=free }}</ref>

Radishes are often used raw as a crunchy [[salad]] [[vegetable]] with a [[pungency|pungent]], slightly spicy flavor, varying in intensity depending on its growing environment. There are numerous [[variety (botany)|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 plant]]s 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 weeks. Being relatively easy to grow and quick to harvest, radishes are often planted by novice gardeners. Another use of radish is as a [[Cover crop|cover]] or [[catch crop]] in winter,<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Price | first1 = Andrew J. | last2 = Jason | first2 = K. Norsworthy | year = 2013 | title = Cover Crops for Weed Management in Southern Reduced-Tillage Vegetable Cropping Systems | doi = 10.1614/WT-D-12-00056.1 | journal = Weed Technology | volume = 27 | issue = 1| pages = 212–217 | s2cid = 86661605 | type = Submitted manuscript }}</ref> or as a [[forage]] crop.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Fitzgerald | first1 = J. J. | last2 = Black | first2 = W. J. M. | year = 1984 | title = 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 | journal = Irish Journal of Agricultural Research | volume = 23 | issue = 2/3| pages = 127–136 | jstor=25556085}}</ref> Some radishes are grown for their seeds; others, such as daikon, may be grown for [[oil]] production. Others are used for [[sprouting]].