Apium graveolens L.

Umbelliferae, J. F. M. Cannon. Flora Zambesiaca 4. 1978

Morphology General Habit

An erect biennial or perennial herb, with the characteristic smell of celery, up to 1 m. or sometimes a little more.

Morphology Stem

Stem with prominent rather coarse grooves, rising from a large fleshy taproot.

Morphology Leaves

Lower leaves simply pinnate, 10–14 cm. long, with deltate-rhomboid segments up to 4·5 cm. long, often deeply 3-lobed; bases distinctly sheathing; the lower ones obviously petiolate, the uppermost more or less sessile. Stem leaves ternate with rhomboid segments to narrowly lanceolate-elliptic and subentire above.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Umbels terminal and lateral, shortly pedunculate or ± sessile in leaf axils.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts

Bracts 0, rays 7–15, up to 2·5 cm. long, rather unequal; bracteoles 0, with flowers on pedicels of 1–5 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Calyx teeth obsolete; petals greenish-white.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit c. 1·5 mm. long, very broadly ovoid; stylopodium depressed; styles c. 0·5 mm. long; carpophore shortly 2-cleft.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits Vittae

Vittae solitary in the intervals and 2 on the commissural face.

Distribution

Biogeografic region: Andean. Elevation range: 1700–2700 m a.s.l. Cultivated in Colombia. Colombian departments: Antioquia, Bogotá DC, Cundinamarca, Huila, Valle del Cauca.

Habit

Herb.

Conservation

IUCN Red List Assessment (2021): LC.

Ecology

Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, savanna, shrubland, native grassland, artificial - terrestrial.

Ghazanfar, S. A. & Edmondson, J. R (Eds). (2014) Flora of Iraq, Volume 5 Part 2: Lythraceae to Campanulaceae.

Morphology General Habit

Erect, yellowish-green, glabrous biennial herb, 30–60 cm, with a strong and characteristic smell

Morphology Stem

Stem rather weak, strongly sulcate, much-branched above

Morphology Leaves

Radical leaves simply pinnate with (3–)5(–7) cuneate-ovate, 5–30 × 4–35 mm incised leaflets, long-petiolate; stem leaves becoming pinnate with trisect segments which are obtusely or subacutely dentate, the teeth shortly mucronate with a percurrent vein; uppermost leaves sessile on the sheaths, small, simply trisect, the segments lanceolate and entire

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Partial umbels with 10–20 small (± 1 mm diameter) greenish-white flowers; pedicels 1–3 mm, involucel absent Main umbel with 5–12 unequal rays 0.5–2.5 cm, involucre absent Umbels axillary and pseudo-terminal, shortly pedunculate or sessile in the axils of a small ternate leaf or at the junction of two or more main branches

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit broadly ovoid, ± 1.5 mm long, blackish when ripe, the ribs prominent, pale, narrow; stylopodia shortly conical, subequalled by the deflexed styles.

Ecology

Damp places, along streams, ditches in irrigated gardens; often cultivated or subspontaneous as a garden escape; alt. up to ± 500 m

Phenology

Flowering and fruiting: Apr.–May/Jun.

Distribution

Quite common on the alluvial plain in the desert region of Iraq, occasional in the steppe and in other parts of the desert region. Most of Europe, especially in coastal regions (from Britain & Scandinavia to W Russia, Greece & Crimea), Crete, Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, Egypt, Arabia, Kuwait, Turkey, Caucasus, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, NW India to China & Korea, C Asia (Turkmenistan, Tajikistan), N Africa (Morocco, Algeria, Libya), Macaronesia (Canary Is.).

Note

Wild Celery, formerly also known as Smallage; KARAFS (Arabic, a name mentioned by Ibn al-Baitar (c. 1240) who quotes the opinions of Galen, Dioscorides and others on its properties), often colloquially called KRAFAS in Iraq.

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/164203/13575099

Conservation

LC - least concern

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular

apio, apio criollo, apio de páramo, apio grande, apio pequeño

Use

Medicinally, its properties are listed by Wren (1956) and Rawi & Chakravarty (1964) and may briefly be summed up as carminative, diuretic, tonic and aphrodisiac. According to Watt (1809), it has also been used by local doctors in India as an emmenagogue for the expulsion of stone. Burkill (1935) points out that celery has certainly been in cultivation since fairly remote times, its oldest use probably being for flavouring. It has been found in Egypt in a tomb of the 20th Pharaonic dynasty woven into a garland; the Romans also used it for garlands and the ancient Greeks as a potherb, while the Chinese had it some 19 centuries ago. Wild forms of the plant contain a glucoside, apiumoside, also found in the leaves of parsley and allied herbs, which may, he suggests, be the cause of a certain measure of indigestibility, and a volatile oil is also present, most abundantly in the seeds. The modern cultivated forms of the plant are innocuous, the edible blanched leaf-stalks being used as a vegetable in salads, for flavouring soups and so on.