ABSTRACT
Celery (Apium graveolens L.—Umbelliferae) is a biennial herb distributed in temperate and subtropical regions. In the first year it produces a short crown stem and rosette leaves about 60 cm in height. The leaves are pinnate or trifoliate; the leaflets are lobed or compound. In the second year a multibranched seedstalk elongates and flowers. Under specific environmental conditions the plant behaves as an annual, developing flower and seeds during the first year. Premature seeding (bolting) results in an economic loss to the grower, since the development of a seedstalk before the plant reaches commercial size renders the crop unmarketable.
