Family: Apiaceae (Umbelliferae)

Taxonomy: Apium includes about two dozen species, mainly South American. Apium graveolens is native to Europe and is widely cultivated.

Description: Biennial herb, 30–100 cm high. Leaves basal and cauline, pinnately compound with 5–7 leaflets or 3 in upper part of plant; leaflets 1–5 cm long, petiolulate, deltoid-rhomboid to rhomboid, usually shallowly lobed; bases of largest leaflets broad and deltoid, bases of smaller leaflets cuneate; margins coarsely serrate to crenate. Inflorescences compound umbels, numerous, borne opposite leaves, nearly sessile, with 4–12 unequal rays, without bracts; umbellets to 20–flowered, without bracteoles; flowers small, white. Fruit a schizocarp of 2 mericarps; mericarps 1–2 mm long, ovoid, laterally compressed, constricted at commissure, vallecular vittae 1(–3).

Parts in Commerce: Fruits (“Seed”)

Identification: See appendix for explanation of the technical terms pertaining to umbel fruits.

• Schizocarp, often separating into individual mericarps
• Mericarps 1–2 mm long
• Mericarps ovoid to broadly ovoid, about half as broad as long
• Somewhat laterally compressed; breadth and thickness of mericarp nearly equal
• Commissure constricted, so flat commissural face is not widest point of mericarp; weakly pentagonal in cross-section
• Ribs yellowish-brown, valleculae greenish-brown to brown
• Ribs threadlike, narrow, at least as high as broad
• Vittae 1(–3) per vallecula, sometimes visible in dried fruit but not resembling secondary ridges
• Calyx teeth absent
• Odor aromatic, similar to vegetable celery
• Taste aromatic, similar to vegetable celery

Adulterants: Fruits of A. graveolens may be confused with those of Ammi majus L. (Bishop’s Weed) and Ammi visnaga (L.) Lam. (Khella), both of which are also of commercial value. These differ from Apium in several features:

• 1.5–2(–3) mm long, breadth and thickness usually less than half of length
• Color of valleculae brown or greenish-brown to dark brown in A. majus or nearly black in A. visnaga
• Vittae always 1 per vallecula, often prominent, in A. majus resembling secondary ridges
• Calyx teeth sometimes present but minute, often lost
• Ribs of A. majus narrow, with height exceeding breadth; ribs of A. visnaga broader and shallower, with a delicate groove or darker line in the center (with a hollow space running longitudinally along rib, not present in A. majus)
• Odor aromatic
• Taste hot, acrid or bitter

References:

Arenas Posadas JA, García Martín F. Atlas carpólogico y corológico de la subfamilia Apioideae Drude (Umbelliferae) en España peninsular y Baleares. Ruizia. 1993;12:1–245.

Cappellettii EM. Differential microcharacters of epicarp surfaces of Ammi visnaga and Ammi majus. Planta Med. 1979;37:143–150.

Tutin TG. Apium. In: Tutin TG, Heywood VH, Burges NA, et al., eds. Flora Europaea. Vol. 2. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 1968:351–352.

Tutin TG. Umbellifers of the British Isles. London: Botanical Society of the British Isles; 1980. B.S.B.I. Handbook No. 2.

Wichtl M, ed. Herbal Drugs and Phytopharmaceuticals, 3^rd English ed. Stuttgart: medpharm Scientific Publishers and Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press; 2004:34–37 and 51–53.

Figure 6: a, fruit of Apium graveolens; b, Ammi majus; c, Ammi visnaga.