Criteria to Distinguish Capsule Fragments of Flax/Linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) from Wild Radish (Raphanus raphanistrum L.)

AbstractFlax/linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) is a major economic crop which was grown throughout much of the 'Old World' region in the past. A by-product of flax or linseed processing is crushed capsule fragments and, therefore, their detection in the archaeobotanical record is crucial. The internal membrane of wild radish (Raphanus raphanistrum L.) capsules bears a similar cell pattern to that of flax/linseed, thus complicating accurate identification of either plant based on highly fragmented capsule material. This paper presents the criteria developed to distinguish capsule fragments of these two species using a standard low-power binocular microscope.