Apiaceae

Apium L.

First published in Sp. Pl.: 264 (1753)
This genus is accepted
The native range of this genus is Temp. & Subtropical Old World, Bolivia to Brazil and S. South America, Subantarctic Islands.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Glabrous annual, biennial or perennial herbs
Morphology Leaves
Leaves pinnate or pinnate-ternate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Umbels compound, often leaf-opposed
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Involucre
Involucre of few bracts or absent; involucel of numerous bracts or absent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers white, hermaphrodite
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx teeth obsolete or very small
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals entire, acute, occasionally with the tip shortly inflexed
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Mericarps with 5 equal or rarely somewhat unequal ridges Fruit broadly ovoid to elliptic oblong or subrotund, laterally compressed, commissure narrow, glabrous or (not in Iraq) rarely setulose Valleculae univittate, commissure bivittate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Stylopodium
Stylopodia flat or shortly conical, the margins entire
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds Endosperm
Endosperm gibbous or teretely convex, the commissural face rather flat
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Carpophore
Carpophore entire or shortly bifid at the apex.
Distribution
A genus of about 30 species, of almost cosmopolitan distribution. Two species in Iraq.
Note
Apium (name used by Latin authors for several umbelliferous plants, according to Gilbert-Carter; Stearn suggests that the name may have been derived from apis, a bee); Celery.
[FIQ]

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

Morphology General Habit
Robust or slender annual, biennial or perennial herbs; stems erect, decumbent or creeping.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers white to greenish in compound umbels; bracts and bracteoles 0.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx teeth minute or absent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals ovate to suborbicular, with an inflexed apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Stylopodium
Stylopodium shortly conical or depressed.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit ovoid to globose, somewhat laterally compressed, glabrous to slightly setulose, slightly constricted at the commissure. Ribs thick and rounded, vittae solitary in the intervals, with 2 on the commissural face.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Carpophore
Carpophore entire or slightly 2-fid.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seed round to subpentagonal in section, with the commissural face plane.
[FZ]

Umbelliferae, C.C. Townsend. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1989

Morphology General Habit
Robust to slender, erect to creeping, annual, biennial or perennial herbs
Morphology Leaves
Leaves variously pinnate or ternate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Umbels compound, sessile or pedunculate, usually leaf-opposed; bracts 0–few; bracteoles few–numerous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers hermaphrodite
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx-teeth obsolete or very small
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals small, white or greenish, sometimes with a short incurved lobule but rarely emarginate above
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit glabrous, almost round to elliptic-oblong, laterally compressed; primary ribs conspicuous, slender to very thick; valleculae 1-vittate, the narrow commissure 2-vittate; stylopodia low, very shortly conical or flat, styles slender to obsolete; carpophore entire to shortly bifid at the apex
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Endosperm roundish to quite sharply pentagonal in section.
[FTEA]

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit
Annual, biennial or perennial herbs
Morphology Leaves
Leaves variously pinnate or ternate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Umbels compound, usually leaf-opposed; bracts few or absent; bracteoles few–many
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers bisexual
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx-lobes minute or obsolete
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals small, white or greenish
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruits elliptic-oblong to almost round, laterally compressed; primary ribs conspicuous; vittae 1 in each groove and 2 in each commissural face; stylopodia low.
Distribution
Some 18 species, widespread in temperate and tropical regions.
[FSOM]

Sources

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Iraq

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0