Apium prostratum subsp. denticulatum
Common names
Chatham Island celery
Biostatus
Native
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Flower colours
Cream, Yellow
Detailed description
Perennial, glabrous, prostrate herb. Stems prostrate, sprawling, often ascending though surrounding vegetation, not rooting at nodes; 0.3-1.2 m long, up to 6 mm diam. Leaves dark green to yellow green, basal ones on long, slender petioles up to 500 mm (usually much less); pinnately 3-foliolate to 1-2-pinnate with 3-7 leaflets, segments ovate, obovate to cuneate, denticulate; leaves opposite umbels up to 600 mm long; leaflets all primary, 3-5, divided, with margins of primary segments denticulate due to the large number of secondary and tertiary segments, ultimate sgements to tertiary order, c.50-120. Inflorescences in compound umbels, sessile or pedunculate; peduncle usually present. 2-20 mm x 1-3 mm, usually ebracteate, sometimes one present present, this usually shedding early in umbel maturation. Rays 10-20, 0.4-8 mm long. Petals off-white to cream, with yellow-brown mid vein, ovate 0.75-1.5 x 0.5-1.0 mm, constricted at base, apex acute. Stamens about length of petals, filaments pale yellow to cream; anthers whitre or pale yellow, 0.3-0.4 x 0.3-0.4 mm. Ovary glabrous, stylopodium disciform; style 0.25-0.40 mm. Mericarps (1.5-)2.0-2.7 mm long, ovate to ovate-oblong, apex narrowed to persistent withered calyx teeth and style remnant, base broad and rounded to weakly cordate; ribs prominent, broad, rounded and spongy. Surface dull yellow to pale brown.
Similar taxa
Apium prostratum subsp. denticulatum is endemic to the Chatham and Antipodes islands. It differs from A. prostratum subsp. prostratum var. filiforme by the leaves opposite the umbels up to 60 mm long; primary leaflets 3-5, leaflets or segments markedly denticulate with 6-36 secondary segments per leaflet only. Garden celery (Apium graveolens L.) has been reported wild on the Chatham Islands and can look very similar. However, it is an erect, biennial herb with filiform ribs on the mericarps (fruits).
Distribution
Endemic to the Chatham and Antipodes islands
Habitat
Coastal. Found on rock shorelines, boulder and sand beaches, on basalt, limestone and schist outcrops and in coastal turf. Also common amongst driftwood and kelp, and within saltmarshes and seepages near the sea. On the outer islands often found in association with burrowing petrels, and so may on occasion be found within tall forest.
Current conservation status
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2022-2023 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Previous assessments can be found here.
Please note, threat classifications are often suggested by authors when publications fall between NZTCS assessment periods – these interim threat classification statuses has not been assessed by the NZTCS panel.
- Conservation status of vascular plants in Aotearoa New Zealand, 2023. 2024. Peter J. de Lange, Jane Gosden, Shannel P. Courtney, Alexander J. Fergus, John W. Barkla, Sarah M. Beadel, Paul D. Champion, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Troy Makan and Pascale Michel Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2023 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: RR
Threats
Not Threatened. Listed because it is a local endemic, abundant on all the main Chatham and Antipodes islands.
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Apiaceae
Synonyms
None
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
(July-) October - February
Fruiting
(September-) February (-May)
Propagation technique
Easy from fresh seed and rooted pieces. The stems are edible and very pleasant tasting.
Other information
Where To Buy
Not commercially available
Etymology
apium: The ancient Latin name for celery or parsley. Believed to be derived from the Celtic word apon ‘ditch’ and refers to the watery habitat of many species
prostratum: Prostrate
NVS code
The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.
APIPSD
Chromosome number
2n = 22
Previous conservation statuses
2017 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: RR
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: RR
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: IE
2004 | Range Restricted
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Johnson, A. T., Smith, H. A. (1972). Plant Names Simplified: Their pronunciation, derivation and meaning. Landsman Bookshop Ltd: Buckenhill, UK.
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by P.J. de Lange for NZPCN (1 June 2013)
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Apium prostratum subsp. denticulatum Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/apium-prostratum-subsp-denticulatum/ (Date website was queried)