APIum

Apium is a genus of flowering plants in the carrot family Apiaceae. It includes several species, the best known being Apium graveolens, commonly cultivated as celery and as celeriac when grown for its root. The genus also contains species such as Apium nodiflorum (fool's water-parsley) and, in some regions, A. prostratum and A. inundatum. These are herbaceous plants that can be annual or perennial, depending on species and cultivation. They typically have hollow, grooved stems and pinnate leaves with serrated margins. The small white flowers are arranged in umbrella-like clusters called umbels, a common feature of Apiaceae.

Habitat and distribution: Apium species are native to Europe, western Asia, and parts of Africa, with several species adapted to damp or marshy habitats. They are widely cultivated and naturalized in temperate regions around the world.

Uses: The best known members are cultivated for edible stalks, leaves, and for celeriac. Celery stalks and leaves are consumed fresh or cooked; A. graveolens var. rapaceum produces a large, tuberous root known as celeriac. The genus is important in cooking and flavoring, and many cultivars exist for either stalk or leaf production.

Notes: Parsley belongs to a different genus, Petroselinum, but both genera are in Apiaceae and share similar aromatic characteristics.