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Slender Celery Cyclospermum leptophyllum

Other Common Name(s):

Previously known as:

  • Apium leptophyllum
  • Apium tenuifolium
  • Cyclospermum ammi
Phonetic Spelling
sy-kloh-SPUR-mum lep-toh-FILL-um
Description

Marsh parsley, in the Apiaceae (or carrot) family, is a summer annual. It has finely-dissected leaves and forms a branched mound up to 2 feet tall. Flowers are small, white, and tinged pink. Young seedlings strongly resemble wild carrot seedlings and emerge from mid-spring though mid-autumn with multiple generations per year. Plants prefer moist areas, growing well on irrigation ditches and in standing water of production areas. No data are available on herbicide effectiveness.

Its native habitat, which includes most of the tropics, includes wet to dry thickets or fields, ditches, waste sites, and other low areas.  Under ideal conditions, this plant can spread out of its cultivated area into lawns and other locations where it is considered weedy and may become invasive in some environments..

Although caution should be used when harvesting for human consumption, the leaves are used by some as a substitute for parsley.  

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems:  It has weedy tendencies and self-seeds easily.

See this plant in the following landscape:
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#high maintenance#herbaceous#NC native#self-seeding#native annual#annual weed#herbaceous annual#lawn weed#dry soils intolerant#heat intolerant#colonizing#broadleaf#annual#weed
 
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#high maintenance#herbaceous#NC native#self-seeding#native annual#annual weed#herbaceous annual#lawn weed#dry soils intolerant#heat intolerant#colonizing#broadleaf#annual#weed
  • Attributes:
    Genus:
    Cyclospermum
    Species:
    leptophyllum
    Family:
    Apiaceae
    Life Cycle:
    Annual
    Recommended Propagation Strategy:
    Seed
    Country Or Region Of Origin:
    Mexico to South Tropical America
    Distribution:
    AL, AR, AZ, FL, GA, MI, NC, NM, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA
    Dimensions:
    Height: 0 ft. 6 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
    Width: 0 ft. 6 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Annual
    Native Plant
    Weed
    Habit/Form:
    Ascending
    Erect
    Spreading
    Growth Rate:
    Rapid
    Maintenance:
    High
    Medium
    Texture:
    Fine
  • Cultural Conditions:
    Light:
    Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
    Soil Texture:
    Clay
    Loam (Silt)
    Sand
    Soil Drainage:
    Frequent Standing Water
    Moist
  • Fruit:
    Fruit Color:
    Brown/Copper
    Green
    Fruit Type:
    Schizocarp
    Fruit Description:
    The light green immature fruits turn brown as they mature and fall to the ground. Each fruit contains 2 seeds.
  • Flowers:
    Flower Color:
    Pink
    White
    Flower Inflorescence:
    Umbel
    Flower Value To Gardener:
    Long Bloom Season
    Flower Bloom Time:
    Fall
    Summer
    Flower Petals:
    4-5 petals/rays
    Flower Size:
    < 1 inch
    Flower Description:
    Flowers are small (less than half of 1 mm), white and tinged pink. Young seedlings strongly resemble wild carrot seedlings and emerge from mid-spring through mid-autumn with multiple generations per year.
  • Leaves:
    Leaf Type:
    Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
    Leaf Arrangement:
    Alternate
    Leaf Shape:
    Linear
    Hairs Present:
    No
    Leaf Length:
    1-3 inches
    Leaf Width:
    1-3 inches
    Leaf Description:
    The plant has finely-dissected leaves and forms a branched mound up to 2 feet tall. As the leaves ascend the stem, they become smaller in size.
  • Stem:
    Stem Color:
    Green
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No
    Stem Form:
    Straight
    Stem Surface:
    Smooth (glabrous)
    Stem Description:
    The smooth stems are coarse and grooved, striped with light green to yellow-green veins.
  • Landscape:
    Problems:
    Weedy