Some Common Plants of Upper Newport Bay

 Celery  (Apium graveolens)
Plant: Perennial Herb, erect, branching, 1 1/2 to 5 feet tall.  The ribbing on the stalks is distinctive. Found in wet places.  Naturalized from cultivated plants.  Common.
Flowers: The flowers are whitish-green appearing  as clusters of clusters, typical of this family. 
Fruit: The small (1/12 inch long) fruits are smooth and oval with 5 prominent ribs.
Leaf: Coarsely divided; the lower ones long-stalked with 5 to 10 leaflets; the upper ones with or without stalks and usually 3 leaflets.
Flowering period:   May to September
Can be found here: Big Canyon, wet places alone Back Bay Drive
Native Plant: No Halophyte: No
Family Name: Carrot 
Click on Picture for enlarged version
Similar Species: Poison Hemlock, Sweet Fennel
Date: 11/16/2003