Apium decumbens
Eckl. & Zeyh.
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(c) Adriaan Grobler, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Adriaan Grobler
(c) YvettevWijk, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by YvettevWijk
What to Eat
Edible parts: Vegetable
Wild celery was used for its medical properties and as a condiment by the Ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, and also in China. The species was later developed as a vegetable, particularly in Italy from the 16th century. Modern cultivars have been selected for different uses, falling into three groups according to the part that is mainly eaten: Celery (Apium graveolens Dulce Group; syn. Apium graveolens var. dulce), is used for its leaf stalks, which may be eaten raw or cooked. Celeriac (Apium graveolens Rapaceum Group; syn. Apium graveolens var. rapaceum), is used for its swollen bulb-like hypocotyl. Leaf celery or smallage (Apium graveolens Secalinum Group; syn. Apium graveolens var. secalinum), has larger leaves; both the leaves and stems are eaten.
Where to Find It
It is a subtropical plant.
Africa, South Africa, Southern Africa,
How to Identify
A subtropical herbaceous plant in the carrot family (Apiaceae) grown as a vegetable.
References (1)
- Ruiters-Welcome, A. K., 2019, Food plants of southern Africa. Ph.D. thesis. Univ. of Johannesburg p 18
