Wild celery (
Vallisneria americana) is a plant in the family
HydrocharitaceaeHydrocharitaceae is a plant family that includes a number of species of aquatic plant, broadly called the Tape-grasses, and includes the well known Canadian Waterweed and Frog's Bit.The family includes both fresh and marine aquatics...
(the "tape-grasses"). Contrary to the implications of its name, wild celery bears little to no resemblance to the
CeleryApium graveolens is a plant species in the family Apiaceae commonly known as celery or celeriac depending on whether the petioles or roots are eaten.- Taxonomy :...
one may buy at the market. Wild celery grows under water and is consumed by various animals, including the
CanvasbackThe Canvasback , historically known in the United States as a "Sheldrake", is a large diving duck, 48–60 cm long and weighing 1270 g....
. The plants themselves are long, limp, flat, and have a green mid-ridge. Animals may eat the entire plant (both the
leavesLeaves are an Icelandic five-piece alternative rock band who formed in 2001. Late in 2001 they played with Emiliana Torrini and drew early praise from the New York Times. They came to prominence in 2002 with their debut album, Breathe, drawing comparisons to groups such as The Verve and Doves...
and the underground tubers).
Despite its name, it is not restricted to the Americas.
Discussion
Ask a question about 'Wild celery' Start a new discussion about 'Wild celery' Answer questions from other users |
Wild celery (
Vallisneria americana) is a plant in the family
HydrocharitaceaeHydrocharitaceae is a plant family that includes a number of species of aquatic plant, broadly called the Tape-grasses, and includes the well known Canadian Waterweed and Frog's Bit.The family includes both fresh and marine aquatics...
(the "tape-grasses"). Contrary to the implications of its name, wild celery bears little to no resemblance to the
CeleryApium graveolens is a plant species in the family Apiaceae commonly known as celery or celeriac depending on whether the petioles or roots are eaten.- Taxonomy :...
one may buy at the market. Wild celery grows under water and is consumed by various animals, including the
CanvasbackThe Canvasback , historically known in the United States as a "Sheldrake", is a large diving duck, 48–60 cm long and weighing 1270 g....
. The plants themselves are long, limp, flat, and have a green mid-ridge. Animals may eat the entire plant (both the
leavesLeaves are an Icelandic five-piece alternative rock band who formed in 2001. Late in 2001 they played with Emiliana Torrini and drew early praise from the New York Times. They came to prominence in 2002 with their debut album, Breathe, drawing comparisons to groups such as The Verve and Doves...
and the underground tubers).
Despite its name, it is not restricted to the Americas. It occurs naturally in
IraqIraq , officially the Republic of Iraq , also known as Mesopotamia, is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert.Iraq shares borders with Jordan to the west, Syria...
,
ChinaChina is a cultural region, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
,
Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
,
KoreaKorea is a civilization and formerly unified nation currently divided into two states. Located on the Korean Peninsula, it borders China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the east by the Korea Strait....
,
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
,
Papua New GuineaPapua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
, the
PhilippinesThe Philippines officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is a country in Southeast Asia with Manila as its capital city. It comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean....
,
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
,
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
,
MexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
,
GuatemalaGuatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast. Its size is just under 110,000 km² with an estimated population...
,
HondurasHonduras is a republic in Central America. It was formerly known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras...
,
CubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island country in the Caribbean. It consists of the island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city. Cuba is home to over 11 million people and is...
, the
Dominican RepublicThe Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are occupied by two countries...
,
HaitiHaiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Creole- and French-speaking Caribbean country. Along with the Dominican Republic, it occupies the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago...
and
VenezuelaVenezuela , officially titled Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It is a continental mainland with numerous islands located off its coastline in the Caribbean Sea...
.
http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?400354
Wild celery reproduces through both asexual and sexual reproduction. Asexual reproduction occurs in winter, when winter buds, or turions, form at the base of the plant. In the spring time, these grow and release stolon, from which the new plant is formed. Sexual reproduction occurs in late summer to early September, when both male and female plants flower. These flowers are released and float on the surface of water. Fertilization occurs when a male and female flower come into contact with each other, and the fruit produced develops underwater.
http://www.dnr.state.md.us/Bay/sav/key/wild_celery.asp
Further reading