Celery
Apium graveolens L.

Order - Apiales

Family - Apiaceae

Names:

Apium

Graveolens

Celery

Other Names:

Summary:

An erect, aromatic, biennial plant with crisp, ribbed, hollow or solid stems to 1 m tall. The leaves are deeply lobed and have toothed or wavy edges.

Description:

Cotyledons:

Two.

Leaves:

Aromatic when crushed.

Stipules -

Petiole -

Blade - Lobed. Basal leaves with 3-5 egg shaped leaflets that usually have 3 lobes. Wavy or toothed edges.

Stem leaves -

Stems:

Ribbed, stringy, crisp, solid or hollow, C shaped in cross section, up to 1000 mm tall, branched near the top.

Flower head:

Stalked or stalkless umbels, 30-40 mm diameter with 4-8 branches of differing lengths on the ends of the stems.

Flowers:

White.

Ovary -

Sepals -

Petals - White.

Stamens -

Anthers -

Fruit:

Flattened, globular, 3 mm long with 2 fruitlets. Each fruitlet has 5 whitish ribs.

Seeds:

Small.

Roots:

Key Characters:

Biology:

Life cycle:

Annual or biennial

Physiology:

Reproduction:

By seed.

Flowering times:

Summer in SA.

Seed Biology and Germination:

Vegetative Propagules:

Hybrids:

Allelopathy:

Population Dynamics and Dispersal:

Spread mainly by intentional planting.

Origin and History:

Europe.

Introduced and cultivated as a vegetable crop.

Distribution:

NSW, SA, TAS, VIC, WA.

Naturalised in NSW, SA, VIC and WA.

Habitats:

Climate:

Temperate. Mediterranean.

Soil:

Prefers fresh water, wet, swampy areas.

Plant Associations:

Significance:

Beneficial:

Widely cultivated salad vegetable.

Detrimental:

Weed of wet lands.

Toxicity:

May contain toxic levels on nitrate. No cases have been recorded in Australia.

Celery affected by pink rot (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum) may cause photo-sensitisation.

Symptoms:

Nitrate toxicity.

Legislation:

None.

Management and Control:

Thresholds:

Eradication strategies:

Herbicide resistance:

Biological Control:

Related plants:

Celeriac (Apium graveolens var. rapaceum)

Sea Celery (Apium prostratum)

Apium ammi = Apium leptophyllum = Cyclospermum leptophyllum

Plants of similar appearance:

References:

Auld, B.A. and Medd R.W. (1992). Weeds. An illustrated botanical guide to the weeds of Australia. (Inkata Press, Melbourne). P74.

Black, J.M. (1965). Flora of South Australia. (Government Printer, Adelaide, South Australia). P663. Diagram.

Cunningham, G.M., Mulham, W.E., Milthorpe, P.L. and Leigh, J.H. (1992). Plants of Western New South Wales. (Inkata Press, Melbourne). P540. Photo.

Everist, S.L. (1974). Poisonous Plants of Australia. (Angus and Robertson, Sydney). P717.

Hussey, B.M.J., Keighery, G.J., Cousens, R.D., Dodd, J. and Lloyd, S.G. (1997). Western Weeds. A guide to the weeds of Western Australia. (Plant Protection Society of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia). P84-85. Photo.

Lazarides, M. and Hince, B. (1993). CSIRO handbook of economic plants of Australia. (CSIRO, Melbourne). #107.2.

Acknowledgments:

Collated by HerbiGuide. Phone 08 98444064 or www.herbiguide.com.au for more information.