Brassica rapa
L. Wild TurnipAnnual or biennial. Taproot stout or tuberous. Stems erect, to 1 m high, herbaceous, branched, usually with stiff bristles. Basal leaves petiolate, pinnately lobed, bright green, with stiff bristles; upper leaves sessile, oblong-lanceolate, becoming glabrous, base dilated and deeply cordate, clasping stem. Inflorescence with open flowers overtopping or equalling buds. Sepals erect to inclined, 4–6 mm long; petals 6–11 mm long, bright yellow; outer stamens with filaments curved outwards at base; ovary sessile. Fruit obliquely erect, 4–7 cm long (including beak), c. 3 mm wide, somewhat constricted between seeds; valves somewhat flattened, midrib prominent, lateral veins obscure, parallel; beak 7–22 mm long, seedless or rarely with 1 seed; pedicel 5–30 mm long; seeds 1–2 mm wide, red to black-brown. Flowers mainly spring and autumn.
LoM, MuM, Wim, GleP, VVP, VRiv, MuF, GipP, OtP, WaP, Gold, CVU, EGL, HSF, HNF, OtR, Strz. Also naturalised WA, SA, Qld, NSW, ACT, Tas. Native to Europe and Asia. Widely cultivated and established as a weed; exact distribution uncertain due to lack of precise records.
The cultivated Turnip with a tuberous taproot is var. rapa. Most naturalised plants, however, belong to var. sylvestris (Lam.) Briggs (Rapeseed).
Entwisle, T.J. (1996). Brassicaceae. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., Flora of Victoria Vol. 3, Dicotyledons Winteraceae to Myrtaceae, pp. 399–459. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
Spinning
