It is an erect, annual or biennial herb. The roots are numerous, succulent and well developed. The stem branches are angular or fistular, conspicuously jointed. The leaves are oblong to obovate, pinnate or trifoliolate. The leaflets are ovate to sub-orbicular and 3-lobed. The flowers are white or greenish white and very small. The fruit (commonly called seed) is a schizocarp consisting of two mericarps, sub-orbicular to ellipsoid, greyish brown to brown with pale ridges, aromatic and slightly bitter.

Aperient, carminative, diuretic, emmenagogue, nervine, stimulant, tonic, increases nerve strength (fruit); anticonvulsant, tranquillizing and antifungal (essential seed oil); potent aphrodisiac (seed); antigalactogogue, antiseptic.

Celery
Herb Information
Plants for a Future

D-limonene, a-selinine, terpinen-4-ol and a-santalol (essential seed oil); alpha-linolenic acid, coumarins, beta-eudesmol, isoimperatorin, isoquercitrin, umbelliferone (seed); 3-n-butylphthalide, alpha-terpinene, limonene, d-selinene sedanonic acid, anhydride and sedanolide (essential fruit oil); 5-methoxy psoralen (fruit); 8-methoxy-psoralen, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, citronellal, guaiacol, linoleic acid, luteolin (leaf); acetic acid, adenine, adenosine, alpha-tocopherol, apigenin, ascorbic acid, bergapten, coumarin, eugenol, myristicin, protocatechuic acid, psoralen, rutin, scopoletin, thymol, xanthotoxin (plant); alpha-phyllandrene (fruit); choline, ferulic acid, p-coumaric acid, shikimic acid, (root); valeric acid (flower)

To treat diarrhoea, dysentery, hoarseness of voice, gravels, indigestion and loss of appetite, and impurity of breast-milk caused, bronchitis (seed decoction); rheumatism (fruit); as a very potent aphrodisiac (seed); arthritis, bruises, dropsy, dysmenorrhea, gout, hoarseness, indigestion, depression, nervous affections resulting from the degeneration of sheathing, scurvy and sores.

Pregnant women should not use celery seed because it may uterine bleeding and cause muscle contractions in the uterus. People with active kidney inflammation should also avoid this herb. Similarly, celery contains properties that may thin the blood, thus making it somewhat of a concern to take with blood thinning medications such as warfarin or aspirin.

Chandel et al., Biodiversity in Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in India.