Common name: Sea Celery
Apium prostratum Labill. ex Vent. APNI* Synonyms: Apium australe Thouars APNI*
Description: Biennial or perennial prostrate herb with branches 30–70 cm long, glabrous.
Leaves 1–2-pinnatisect, those near base 5–41 cm long, those opposite compound umbels 2–15 cm long; segments 3-lobed, 2–7 mm wide.
Umbels 3.5–7 cm diam., sessile or peduncle 2–20 mm long; rays 2–15, 0.4–5.5 mm long. Petals ovate, 0.8–1.5 mm long, white.
Fruit obovate to ± circular, 1.3–2.5 mm long and wide; mericarps with 5 thick longitudinal ribs which almost conceal the narrow furrows between them.
Distribution and occurrence: Grows on edges of saltmarsh and coastal cliffs or near rivers or brackish water, west to Denman.
NSW subdivisions: NC, CC, SC, CWS, LHI
Other Australian states: Qld Vic. Tas. S.A. W.A.
There are four subspecies of Apium prostratum. The typical subspecies and Apium prostratum subsp. howense both occur in New South Wales. Only Apium prostratum subsp. howense is described here.
Text by S. M. Hastings & J. M. Powell (1992)
Taxon concept: Short (1979)
Taxa not yet included in identification key
Apium prostratum subsp. howense,
Apium prostratum subsp. prostratum
| | Key to the varieties | |
| 1 | Leaflets entire or divided; undivided leaflets and primary segments of divided leaflets ± linear or narrow-lanceolate, 6–15 times as long as broad | var. prostratum |
| Leaflets divided, primary segments elliptic, ovate, obovate or ± cuneate, 2–3 times as long as broad | var. filiforme |
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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