Apium prostratum subsp. prostratum var filiforme

The species Apium prostratum, is commonly known as Sea Celery, and is a variable herb that is native to coastal Australia and New Zealand. The leaves are variable, with toothed leaflets, and a celery like aroma. The tiny white flowers occur in clusters.

There are two varieties of the Sea Celery:

• Apium prostratum var. filiforme (known as the Headland Sea Celery) and is pictured here, which is more squat with broad leaves and grows on coastal dunes and headlands.
• Apium prostratum var. prostratum (known as the Mangrove Sea Celery), which is more upright with fine leaves and grows in swamps.:

Apium prostratum subsp. prostratum var filiforme (Sea celery), also called Sea parsley, is a coastal native that may be used as a flavoursome herb that carries hints of the Ocean in its unique celery like flavour. It was commonly eaten by early settlers as a survival food.

The stems and leaves may be enjoyed fresh in salads (my favourite when camping down the coast, yummo) or blanched as a side vegetable or added to curries etc, while the seeds may be used as a condiment or cooking spice, or dried leaves in a native spice mix.

Terry Dunham

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• Scientific classification
• Kingdom: Plantae
• Phylum: Charophyta
• Class: Equisetopsida
• Subclass: Magnoliidae
• Superorder: Asteranae
• Order: Apiales
• Family: Apiaceae
• Genus: Apium
• Species: Apium prostratum
• Subspecies: Apium prostratum subsp. prostratum
• Variety: Apium prostratum var. prostratum
• Variety: Apium prostratum var. filiforme

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FloraFlora in Australia Flora Index Acacia Anigozanthos (Kangaroo Paws) Annual Yellowtop Apium prostratum subsp. prostratum var filiforme Apple Bush (Pterocaulon sphacelatum) Australian Bluebell Australian Gossypium Banksia Batswing Coral Tree Billy Buttons Birdsville Indigo Blue Pincushion Bush Banana Callistemon Callitris drummondii (Drummond’s Cypress Pine) Calothamnus quadrifidus Cape Honeysuckle Cassia fistula (Golden Shower) Cattle Bush Common Heath Crotalaria Darwinia wittwerorum (Wittwer’s Mountain Bell) Daviesia oppositifolia (Rattle-pea) Desert Oaks Drumsticks Eremophila Eucalyptus Ficus Flannel Cudweed (Actinobole uliginosum) Georges Indigo Goatshead Burr (Sclerolaena bicornis) Golden Everlasting Goodenia Gossypium Grass and Grasses Grass Trees Grevillea Grey Germander Hakea Kapok Bush (Aerva javanica) Lambertia sp Leptospermum MacDonnell Ranges Cycad Maireana scleroptera Mexican Poppy Minnie Daisy Mistletoe Family Nardoo Native Apricot Nicotiana megalosiphon subspecies sessilifolia Nuytsia floribunda Orange Spade Flower Orchidaceae Parakeelyas (Calandrinia) Pebble Bush (Stylobasium spathulatum) Perennial Yellow Top Pink Everlasting Pink Rock Wort Poached Egg Daisy Portulaca Proteaceae Ptilotus Quandong Resurrection Fern Rosy Dock Ruby Saltbush Santalum Solanum Spike Centaury Spinifex Storkbill (Erodum cygnorum) Striped Mint Bush Sturt’s Desert Pea Sturt’s Desert Rose Tall Saltbush Tangled Leschenaultia Tar Vine Tribulus eichlerianus Upside-down Plant Urodon dasyphylla Variable Daisy Waratah (Telopea) Wertabona Daisy White Cedar (Melia azedarach) White Indigo White Paper Daisy Wild Passionfruit Wild Stock Woolly-Headed Burr Daisy Woolly Bush Yellow-keeled Swainsona

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