Java Waterdropwort (Oenanthe javanica)
Description
Oenanthe javanica, commonly Java waterdropwort, Chinese celery, Indian pennywort, Japanese parsley, water celery and water dropwort, is a plant of the water dropwort genus originating from East Asia. (Chinese celery is also the name given to Apium graveolens var. secalinum). It has a widespread native distribution in temperate Asia and tropical Asia, and is also native to Queensland, Australia. This plant should not be confused with the plants of the genus Cryptotaenia, sometimes called "Japanese wild parsley" (mitsuba in Japanese). O. javanica is a perennial herb that grows to about 1 m in height, with fibrous roots that emerge from all nodes, and flowers with 5 white petals and 5 stamens. The leaves are aromatic, glabrous, and have a sheath covering the stem. The leaflets are divided into lobes and crinkled. The 'Flamingo' variety has colorful pink edges. The plant grows wild in moist areas, along streams and on the edges or ponds. While many other species of water dropwort are extremely toxic, Oenanthe javanica is edible, and is cultivated in China, India, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, and Vietnam, as well as in Italy, where its spring growths are relished as a vegetable. It is commonly consumed in the Northeast Indian State of Manipur, where it is called komprek in Meithei. It is one of the main ingredients in Manipuri Eromba and Singju. Called seri (セリ) in Japanese, it is one of the ingredients of the symbolic dish consumed in the Japanese spring-time festival, Nanakusa-no-sekku.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum: Magnoliophyta
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Class: Magnoliopsida
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Order: Apiales
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Family: Apiaceae
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Genus: Oenanthe
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