Author: آمنه غلامی 
Isatis raphanifolia Boiss.
Masoumeh Izadpanah, Amene Gholami and Amin Zeraatkar
Natural Resources Gene Bank, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Tehran, Iran.
Uploaded at february 2026
Scientific editor: Parvin Salehi Shanjani
Seed Storage
The storage behavior of this species is orthodox (desiccation-tolerant seeds), dry to 15 to 20% eRH, and store at -20°C.
Germination requirements
The seeds of this species are not dormant. Sterilize seeds before placing them on wet germination paper. Place seeds for two weeks at 4 ºC to germinate uniformly. Then germinate under an alternating temperature regime of 15/20 ºC (the higher temperature for 16 hours in light and the lower one for eight hours in dark).
Morphology
Fruit type: Silique, indehiscent
Fruit shape: Oblong-linear, locule in the center, swollen, narrow at the base, on apex ribbon-like, truncated, curved. Surface pubescent, brown
Fruit size: Length 11.92 to 13.74 mm, width 1.82 to 2.91 mm
Seed shape: Ellipsoid oblong, plump, apex rounded, radicle as long as cotyledons, with a distinct furrow. Surface smooth, faint lustrous, orange-brown
Seed size: Length 1.76 to 1.8 mm, width 0.99 to 1.03 mm in an accession from Marvdasht, Fars, with 1000 seeds weight 4.17 g, which was collected and identified in 2019 by Amin Zeraatkar, and is stored in the Natural Resources Gene Bank of Iran with the accession number 46907.
Average 1000 seed weight: 0.7 to 4.17 g
Biological features
Life form: Herbaceous, annual, small, short, glabrous or with scattered hairs. Stem erect, solitary, branched at the base or at the top, 10 to 45 cm long
Inflorescence, flower type, and pollination mechanism: Inflorescence racem; flowers hermaphrodite, regular; polysepalous, sepals 1.5 to 2 mm long; polypetalous, petals 3 to 4 mm long, color golden yellow to lemon yellow. Plant monoecious, cross-pollinated. Pollination is carried out by insects and wind.
Time of flowering: Early spring
Time of seed ripening: Mid-spring
Seed dispersal methods: Seed weight
Geographical distribution: Endemic to Iran. Typus from Dalki, Bushehr
Distribution in Iran: West, Center and South. Mostly in provinces Kermanshah, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, Lorestan, Bakhtiari, Fars, Bushehr, Khuzestan, Kerman and Tehran
Taxonomy
Family: Brassicaceae
Genus: Isatis
Species: I. raphanifolia
Persian name: Vasme-e bargtorobi, Vasme-e torbchei
References and Links
Assadi, M. Sajedi, S. Fakhr Ranjberi, H. Mirzadeh Vaghefi, S. Moazzeni, H. Khodashenas, M. Khosravi, A. R. Hatami, A. Mehrnia, M. Kaffash, Sh. Heidarnia, N. Sheidai, M. Heidari Rikan, M. Kavousi, K. Sonboli, A. Veiskarami, Gh. And Aminian, F. 2017. Flora of Iran, Brassicaceae, No.143. Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands Press, Tehran, Iran, 954 pp.
Black, M. and Bewley, J.D. 2000. Seed technology and its biological basis. Sheffield Academic Press, 419 pp.
Bojňanský, V. and Fargašová, A. 2007. Atlas of seeds and fruits of central and East-European flora: the Carpathian Mountains region. Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, 1046 pp.
Ghahraman, A. Flore of Iran. Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands with University of Tehran Publication. https://floraofiran.net/index.php.
Mozaffarian, V.A. 1998. Dictionary of Iranian plants names. Farhange Moaser Publisher, Tehran, 671 pp.
Mozaffarian, V.A. 2012. A Pictorial dictionary of botany. Farhange Moaser Publisher, Tehran, 1088 pp.
Sharma, O.P. 2009. Plant taxonomy 2E. Tata McGraw-Hill Education, New Delhi, 563 pp.
