Common Australian Garden Weeds

Ciclospermum leptophyllum

Scientific name: Ciclospermum leptophyllum (Pers.) Brit. & Wils.


Slender celery (Ciclospermum leptophyllum) with its fine and highly divided leaves.


A photo of the tiny white flowers and highly divided leaves of slender celery.


A close-up of the ribbed fruit of slender celery.


Seedling of slender celery showing deeply divided leaves.

Synonyms: Apium leptophyllum (Pers.) F. Muell; Pimpinella leptophylla Pers.; Cyclospermum leptophyllum (Pers.) Sprague.

Common names: Slender celery, wild carrot

Family: Apiaceae

Origin:

Native of the Americas, now a cosmopolitan weed.

Habit:

Annual herb with slender branches reaching up to 70 cm high with finely divided leaves.

Habitat:

Weed of tended areas such as gardens, foot paths, cultivation. Its distribution is mainly in coastal areas.

General description:

Stems and leaves

Stems are green and ridged longitudinally. The leaf blade is highly reduced so that only the tissue around the main veins remains leaving a 2-pinnatasect (highly divided) leaf. Leaves are up to 10 cm long and 0.5-1.0 mm broad. Leaves are soft in texture.

Flowers and fruit

Flowers are small and white, arranged in heads. The ovoid fruits are 1-3 mm long with 5 distinct longitudinal ridges with an oil canal in each of the furrows. The fruit separates into 2 seeds that are light to dark brown, hump shaped and ribbed. Flowering occurs spring to early summer.

Distinguishing characteristics:

Finely divided carrot-like leaves. Small white flowers clustered into heads.

Noxious status:

Not noxious.

Sources:

Kleinschmidt, H.E., Holland, A. and Simpson, P. (1996). Suburban Weeds. 3rd Edition. Department of Primary Industries, Brisbane.

Stanley, T.E. and Ross, E.M. (1983-1989). Flora of South-eastern Queensland. Volume 2. Department of Primary Industries, Brisbane.

Anonymous. (1994). Queensland Vacsular Plants: Names and Distribution. Queensland Herbarium, Brisbane.