Vallisneria americana
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| Wild celery | ||||||||||||||
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| Vallisneria americana Michx. |
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Wikispecies has information related to: Vallisneria americana |
Wild celery (Vallisneria americana) is a plant in the family Hydrocharitaceae (the "tape-grasses"). Contrary to the implications of its name, wild celery bears little to no resemblance to the Celery one may buy at the market. Wild celery grows under water and is consumed by various animals, including the Canvasback. The plants themselves are long, limp, flat, and have a green mid-ridge. Animals may eat the entire plant (both the leaves and the underground tubers).
Despite its name, it is not restricted to the Americas. It occurs naturally in Iraq, China, Japan, Korea, India, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Australia, Canada, the United States, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Venezuela.[1]
Wild celery reproduces through both asexual and sexual reproduction. Asexual reproduction occurs in winter, when winter buds, or turions, form at the base of the plant. In the spring time, these grow and release stolon, from which the new plant is formed. Sexual reproduction occurs in late summer to early September, when both male and female plants flower. These flowers are released and float on the surface of water. Fertilization occurs when a male and female flower come into contact with each other, and the fruit produced develops underwater. [2]
[edit] Further reading
- Maryland DNR's Bay Grass ID Key: Wild celery
- Minnesota DNR Aquatic plant information: Wild celery
- USGS NPWRC report: American Wildcelery (Vallisneria americana) -- Ecological Considerations for Restoration
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