Celery

Real celery ( Apium graveolens ) Representation of the morphology of the Ursprungsart and partial views of flowers and fruits

The True celery ( Apium graveolens ) in Austria and the celery ( with stress on the last syllable ) is a plant used as a vegetable from the carrot family ( Apiaceae ). Use in the kitchen to find their varieties celeriac, celery and cut celery.

• 4.1 Toxicology

• 8.1 Notes and references

Features

The characteristics of the cultivars differ in part significantly from those of the wild forms described herein. The main differences are discussed below in the forms of culture.

Real celery is an annual to perennial herbaceous plant. It reaches heights of growth from 30 to 100 cm. The root is spindle- shaped and branched. In the second year they are lignified.

The stems are erect, highly branched and have edged furrows. The leaves are dark green, shiny and simply pinnate. In the cultural forms they can also be feathered twice. The leaflets are 0.5 to 5 cm long, their shape is broadly rhombic to wedge-shaped. The basal leaves are long-petiolate. The stem leaves are almost sessile on short, white- hautrandigen sheaths.

The plants form numerous umbels. These are short- stalked or sitting and consist of up to twelve rays. Cone shell or Hüllchen missing. The petals are 0.5 mm long and almost pure white, something may be yellowish or greenish. You have been proposed lobules at the top. The flowers are protandrous. Pollination is by insects ( Diptera ) or by self-pollination.

The fruit is 1.5 to 2 mm wide, and wide oval. It has little projecting, triangular, sharp, yellow fins. Between the ribs it is dark brown. Among the small valley located one to three oil welts on the surface two joints. The fruit holder is borstlich and notched slightly at the top.

The chromosome number is 2n = 22

As umbellifer the celery plant contains in all organs essential oils in oil passages. Phthalides are present in the oils responsible for the characteristic flavor of celery.

Dissemination

The wild form is a cosmopolitan and spread worldwide. The domestication took place in the Mediterranean area likely. As a natural sites of the wild-type salty, moist to boggy soils are assumed in the coastal areas of the Mediterranean countries.

In Central Europe, the wild form is endemic to salt bodies. They settled moist to wet, nutrient-rich, salty mud floors only in the hill and altitude level. Their status in the German states between " endangered " and " extinct ". In Austria, the wild form, if they ever occurred, extinct.

Systematics and name

Within the species, several varieties are distinguished.

The wild form is the marsh celery ( Apium graveolens var graveolens ). From him the cultural forms emerged.

The German name celery goes back to the ancient Greek name selinon, σέλινον back to the plant. The name is synonymous in the marshy lowlands grew with the city on the river Selinus Selinunte, large celery stocks. As arms of the city was the tip of a celery leaf. The Greek selinon was the French celeri for German celery. Other ( vernacular ) names such as cell Erich Zeller Zelderie or go back to the same origin.

The genus name Apium goes back to the Latin name for a plant with doldigen inflorescences with bitter substances, which is often visited by bees. The Latin name can be assigned to any type and has been assigned only by Carolus Linnaeus in the genus celery. The Style epithet graveolens means very fragrant, smelling.

Celeriac

Celeriac ( Apium graveolens var rapaceum ), also called celery root or Zeller, developed a semi- underground growing storage organ. At the storage body main root, hypocotyl and upset Sprossachse each hold one-third. So it is a turnip. The rung portion can be recognized by the rhombic- transverse leaf scars, the hypocotyl is scarring and the root zone is identified by the strong lateral roots. Since most of the rounded storage body falls on the rung section, the term tuber appears botanically not entirely unjustified. The lateral roots are shortened in the growth and pull the storage body in the ground ( Zugwurzeln ). All organs are crossed by oil passages. Add the essential oil to find the responsible for the typical celery flavor phthalide. The cultivar is not frost hardy and must therefore be taken in sand to seed production in winter. In the second year Sprossrübe drives with consumption of the storage substances from a to 2 m high, white-flowered, branched Infloreszenzspross.

The cultivation of celery in vegetable growing is done for early harvests in the second half of May in the greenhouse sowing in January. For crops during the summer and autumn early plants between the Ice Saints and the end of June will be planted in the open land. The size of the celery can be regulated significantly by the producers on the plantation density. The yield per hectare of celery tubers can reach 30 to 35 tons.

The celeriac can be used as greens or root vegetables for roasting or stews (eg Waldorf salad), as a main dish in slices fried to celery chips or processed into soups as an accompaniment to mashed potatoes, a salad.

Celery

Celery ( Apium graveolens var dulce ), also known as stem, herbaceous or celery, has long, fleshy petioles and a small tuber. In trading the petioles, which can weigh up to one kilogram per plant come. They are used for salads or as a vegetable. The pale coloring comes about through Aufhäufeln of earth and pulled over with sheet metal pipes, which affects the formation of chlorophyll by light deficiency ( etiolation ). The petioles contain relatively high amounts of β -carotene and are characterized by a fine celery flavor.

Cut celery

Cut or Würzsellerie ( Apium graveolens var secalinum ), which communicates with a little or no distinct bulb and parsley leaves reminiscent of the wild-type closest serves as a seasoning herb. Can only use the leaves that contain 0.1% essential oil with about 60 % limonene and 10% selinene and do not lose their flavor substances during drying. A mixture of dried leaves with saline is offered as celery salt.

Pharmacology

Celery includes a plurality of pharmaceutically active substances. Main ingredients are: psoralen, bergapten, xanthotoxin, apiin ( CAS: 26544-34-3 ) and ethereal oils, such as the apiol ( CAS: 26544-34-3 ).

Toxicology

Apiol was already used in the Middle Ages to abortion. High doses of apiol cause liver and kidney damage.

Celery can cause allergic reactions including anaphylactic shock cause (celery - carrot - mugwort syndrome).

If celery tubers are infected by the fungus Sclerotina sclerotiorum, sufficient quantities may be formed at furocoumarins, so that phototoxic reactions occur. Here, psoralen, bergapten and xanthotoxin play the most important role. In England, America, and Italy as the "pink red " called, infected celery led the harvest staff several times to sick leave, since up to 26 % of the harvest staff fell ill with severe contact dermatitis. Non- infected celery, however, is not phototoxic.

Cultural History

Wild celery was used in Ancient Egypt by written records from the period 1200-600 BC as a medicinal plant. From ancient Greece to use is often handed down. The Romans took over the use of the Greeks.

After the barbarian invasions, the use is again occupied by the beginning of the 9th century. In the Middle Ages and during the Renaissance, the celery was primarily used as a medicinal herb. Today's varieties of tubers, bleaching and celery originated from the 17th century. Tubers and celery originated in Italy.

Celery crown champions

The ancients gave the winners of the Nemean games a braided from celery leaves wreath.