Oenanthe javanica Oenanthe javanica 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
Celery stronger taste and smell compared to other cultivars. It is used as a flavoring in soups and sometimes pickled as a side dish. The wild form of celery is known as "smallage". It has a furrowed stalk with wedge-shaped leaves, the whole plant having a coarse, earthy taste, and a distinctive smell. The stalks are not usually eaten (except in soups or stews in French cuisine), but the leaves may be used in salads, and its seeds are those sold as a spice. With cultivation and blanching, the stalks lose their acidic qualities and assume the mild, sweetish, aromatic taste