| Apium | |
|---|---|
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| Apium graveolens | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Apiales |
| Family: | Apiaceae |
| Subfamily: | Apioideae |
| Tribe: | Apieae |
| Genus: | Apium L. |
| Species | |
See text. | |
Apium is agenus, as currently circumscribed byPlants of the World Online, of 12species offlowering plants in the familyApiaceae, with an unusual highly disjunct distribution with one species in the temperate Northern Hemisphere in theWestern Palaearctic (Europe, westernAsia, northAfrica), and the rest in the temperate Southern Hemisphere in southern Africa, southernSouth America,Australia, andNew Zealand.[1] They are prostrate to medium-tallannual,biennial orperennial herbs growing up to 1 m high in wet soil, oftenmarshes andsalt marshes, and have pinnate to bipinnateleaves and small whiteflowers in compoundumbels. Some species are edible, notablyApium graveolens, which is the wild ancestor of the commercially importantvegetablescelery,celeriac andleaf celery.
The genus is thetype genus of the family Apiaceae and the order Apiales; the type species of the genus isApium graveolens.
As of September 2024[update], Plants of the World Online accepts the following species:[1]
Species formerly placed in this genus include:
Apium species, including garden celery, are eaten by thelarvae of someLepidoptera species includingangle shades,common swift,Hypercompe icasia,the nutmeg,setaceous Hebrew character andturnip moth.
