Carl Linnaeus described the species Apium graveolens in Volume One of his Species Plantarum in 1753. This scientific classification placed celery within the family Apiaceae alongside other aromatic plants. The original wild species has been selectively bred over centuries into three primary cultivar groups today. Farmers grow stalk celery for its fibrous edible stems, leaf celery for its aromatic foliage, and celeriac for its large hypocotyl root. Modern varieties display long ribbed stalks with pinnate leaves and small white flowers arranged in umbels. Each stalk contains bundles of angular collenchyma cells that create the characteristic strings when separated. These structural details distinguish cultivated forms from their wild ancestors found in marshes.
Cultivation Methods And Harvesting
Commercial production in North America relies heavily on the cultivar known as Pascal celery. Gardeners plant seeds in hot beds or open gardens according to seasonal cycles before transplanting them into deep trenches. Workers earth up the soil around stems to exclude light and achieve blanching, though self-blanching varieties now dominate markets. Fields are harvested only once due to extremely uniform crop growth reaching marketable size. Packaging standards determine quality based on color shape straightness thickness midrib length absence of disease cracks splits insect damage and rot. Cartons contain between 36 and 48 stalks weighing up to specific limits under optimal conditions. Freshly cut petioles remain prone to decay unless processed with sharp blades gentle handling and proper sanitation protocols.Chemical Composition And Nutrition