1974-75 year it looked comparable to 'LaChipper' but fell far White skin. Plants medium tolarge in size, with upright short during the 1977-78 season. habit. Specific gravity in medium high range. Good chipper. 'Atlantic' and 'LaChipper' had the best chipping quality Preferred when grown specifically for chipping. Has early ratings of the cultivars in 1976 (Table 3). 'Norchip' and sprouting ability. 'Hudson' are similar in their chip color and after 28 days 'LaChipper*—Tubers round to slightly oblong with of secondary storage at 72 F following one month at 45 F shallow eyes. Creamy white skin. Specific gravity equal to storage, they have equivalent chip color to 'LaRouge' and 'Norchip.' Good chipper. Yields usually less than 'Norchip,' stored at 70 F only. 'LaRouge' was the only cultivar which but has higher preference in the fresh market. did not reach an acceptable (5) chip color ratingfollow 'Hudson'—Tubers large, white, spherical with shallow ing a month at 45 F storage and 28 days of 72 F storage. eyes. Plants large, and emerge quickly after planting. Excel 'Atlantic' had the best chipping color and a high lent yielder. Specific gravity medium and good chipper. Has specific gravity along with high yields making it a desirable been sold for fresh market with good acceptance. potato for processing as well as for fresh use. 'Atlantic/ how 'Atlantic'—Tubers large, white, blockey to spherical with ever, does not tolerate the "wetter" fields in the county as netted skin and shallow eyes. Plants medium to large. Up well as do other cultivars. right growth habit. Medium to late maturity. Excellent Two lines from North Dakota State University, yielder. High specific gravity. Very good chipper. ND8888-2 and ND88891-3 seen during 1977-78 looked very promising. Seed stock has been made available for small Literature Cited grower trials in 1978-79. 1. Anonymous, 1976. Notice to potato seed growers of the release of 'Atlantic,' a new potato variety combining high quality, pest Recommended Cultivars for Dade County resistance, and wide adaptation. American Potato J. 53:428-430. 2. . 1978. Notice to potato seed growers of the release of 'LaRouge'—Tubers with red skin, uniform in size with 'Belchip/ a new potato variety combining high quality, pest re deep eyes. Plants medium in size and spreading. Fairly low sistance, and wide adaptation. American Potato J. 55:537. specific gravity. Primary cultivar grown in Dade County 3. Bryan, H. H. and N. L. Durre, 1968. White potatoes for marl soils in Dade County. Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 81:159-163. for fresh market. Has been sold for chipping in fresh state. 4. Shumaker, J. R. et. al. 1977. 'Atlantic': A new potato cultivar for 'Norchip'—Tubers round to oblong with deep eyes. north Florida. Proc, Fla. State Hort, Soc. 90:370-373,

Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 91: 301-305. 1978.

TRIAL OF WATER CELERY AS AN AQUATIC FLAVORING HERB FOR EVERGLADES FARMLANDS1

Julia F. Morton this location, an especial effort was made to include in Morton Collectanea, University of Miami, these experiments some species which might be relatively Coral Gables, FL 33124 hardy. Selected as especially promising in this respect was the George H. Snyder Oriental herb Oenanthe javanica DC. (O. stolonifera Wall IFAS Agricultural Research and Education Center, ex DC; O. laciniata Zoll.), of the family Umbelliferae; University of Florida, known in English as water celery or water dropwort; in Belle Glade, FL 33430 Japanese, as seri; in Chinese, as sui-kan or shui ch'in ts'ai; in Thai, as pak chi lawm; in Laotian as phak sa, or phak Additional index words. Oenanthe javanica; seri; water si sang; in Vietnamese, as rau com, rau can tran, or rancan dropwort. ong;in Javanese, pampoeng, or pampung; in Malay, as shelum. The local name in New Guinea is damoe. It should Abstract. Water celery (Oenanthe javanica DC, syn. O. be noted that some Japanese in Hawaii, not born in Japan, stolonifera Wall.) is one of the 7 principal springtime wild apply the name seri to watercress (Nasturtium officinale R. herbs of Japan. It is commonly used as flavoring in soup, Br.). Others call seri "Japanese watercress." salads and rice dishes, and as filling for omelettes and meat- This is a variable, perennial herb (Fig. 1), with creep loaf in Japan, China, Hong Kong, India, southeast Asia, ing, fleshy, pale pinkish-white or red stolons and tufts of Malaysia, New Guinea and Hawaii. Vegetative propagating fibrous, threadlike, white rootlets (Fig. 2) at the base of material, obtained from Hawaii in November 1977, has erect, slender, hollow, green stems 4 in. to5 ft. (10 to 150 multiplied vigorously in tanks at the Agricultural Research cm.) high. The deep-green leaves, having anodor like fresh and Education Center, Belle Glade. Market acceptability has tops of the carrot ( Daucus carota L. var. sativus Hoffm.), been established as well as prospects of an active demand are alternate, 2 to 12 in. (5 to 30 cm.) long and 2 to 6 in. not only by Oriental food fanciers but by all who enjoy (5 to 15 cm.) wide, on sheathed petioles 1 to 6 in. (2.5 to exotic herbs. The possible presence of unusual chemicals 15 cm.) long; once- or twice-pinnate; the leaflets ovate to is being investigated. ovate-oblong, pointed at the apex, blunt or rounded at the base; deeply lobed or merely toothed; 14 to 2% in. (0.6 to Small-scale trials of various aquatic vegetables were 7 cm.) long; 14 to H/2 in. (0.6 to 3.8 cm.) wide; with many initiated at the IFAS, University of Florida, Agricultural conspicuous veins. Research and Education Center, Belle Glade, in mid-1976 Flowers are fragrant, tiny, white, 5-petaled, with 5 (14). In view of the likelihood of brief periods of frost at stamens and yellowish-brown anthers; numerous, in a terminal or axillary, compound umbel of 10 to 25 blooms iFlorida Agricultural Experiment Stations Journal Series No. 1559. on a grooved, erect stalk 1% to 10 in. (S.2 to 25 cm.) long.

Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 91: 1978. 301 the Malay Archipelago, in northern India and Pakistan, Burma, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam; in mainland China, Manchuria, Siberia, Korea, Taiwan, Japan, New Guinea and Queensland, Australia. In Japan and Java, it is gathered from the wild for sale and also cultivated. It is cultivated in Sumatra, Malaya, southeast Asia, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Hawaii (1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 16, 20, 22, 27). In Japan, it is one of the 7 principal springtime wild vegetables but its wilderness habitats are shrinking around the larger cities (23).

Culinary Uses

In Southeast Asia, the tops are eaten raw in salads and also used as garnish like parsley (Petroselinum crispum Nyman). In China, Java, Sumatra and Malaya, the young stems and leaves are eaten, raw or steamed, with rice (17), or are boiled and chopped as vegetable greens (2, 18, 24, 26). The Japanese customarily serve greens such as water celery and watercress with a bowl of piquant sauce called si-miso: miso (from fermented soybeans), rice vinegar, sugar and salt. Each bite of greens, picked up with chop sticks, is dipped into the sauce (Fig. 3). Water celery is de licious when eaten in this fashion. Sometimes a sesame seed dressing (1/3 cup roasted, ground, white sesame seeds, 1/4 cup vinegar, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 tablespoon shoyn, a pinch of salt and ajinomoto) is mixed with cooked, chilled Fig. 1. Oenanthe javanica is a perennial herb with creeping stolons water celery just before serving (29). and long, threadlike, white rootlets. Photo by Julia Morton

The fruit is cylindrical-oblong, ribbed, 0.07 to 0.125 in. (2 to 3.5 mm.) long, and 0.039 to 0.078 in. (1 to 2 mm.) wide.

Habitat and Distribution

The plant grows wild in freshwater marshes, swampy fields, on edges of pools and along ditches, canals and streams, from 16 to 5,904 or 7,216 ft. (5 to 1,800 or 2,200 m.) elevation, especially above 1,968 ft. (600 m.), throughout

Fig. 3. Cooked, chopped water celery greens, to be picked up with chopsticks and dipped into su*miso, a piquant sauce; also water celery omelette. Courtesy D. and J. Murasaki. Photo by Julia Morton

In China, the tops are eaten fresh or pickled (21). In Hawaii, this herb is favored primarily by people of Japan ese ancestry. The tops, when 6 to 10 in. (15 to 25 cm.) high, are pulled up with attached fibrous rootlets, tied in bundles 5 to 6 in. (12.5 to 15 cm.) thick and marketed. The greens are put into boiling water for one minute, drained and cooled, then cut into 2-in. (5-cm.) lengths and added

Fig. 2. Water celery stems with rootlets and fleshy stolons. to chicken or fish soup—7 pieces to each serving of soup (6). Photo by Julia Morton The tops make a savory filling for a firm omelette (Fig. 3)

302 Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 91; 1978. such as would be taken on a picnic in Japan because it can be sliced (15). Water celery, used as stuffing, greatly en hances meatloaf. Dr. Marjorie Grant Whiting, of Washing ton, D.C., has sent to us this recipe which she obtained from Mrs. Y. Sagawa in Honolulu:

Seri no nikumaki

2 lbs. ground beef (lean) i/2 teaspoon sugar 1 bunch seri 14 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon fresh ginger 1 tablespoon shoyu juice 1 tablespoon sake 2 eggs 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Parboil the seri; squeeze out water; set aside. Mix ground beef, ginger juice, eggs, sugar, salt, shoyu, sake and corn- starch. Spread half the mixture over a bamboo "suchi- maki" covered with cheesecloth. Place half the seri in center and roll, making two rolls. Steam for 20 minutes. For the sauce, boil I cup of broth from the steamer with 14 cup shoyu, 1 tablespoon sugar, 2 tablespoons sake and pinch of salt. Thicken with 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 table spoon water, mixed. Slice the meat roll about i/2 in. (1.25 cm.) thick. Arrange the rolls so that the green center can be seen. Pour the sauce over and serve hot (29). Seri is also used in place of spinach in one-pot dishes such as sukiyaki, yosenabe and mizutaki (29). If allowed to grow taller than 10 in. (25 cm.), the stems will be slightly tough and are then best chopped and added to a long- cooking vegetable stew (15). Fig. 4. One small plant received in November 1977 had multiplied filling half the tank by mid-March and was spreading into the other half. Medicinal Uses Photo by Julia Morton

In Southeast Asia, the fruits are regarded as diuretic thereafter to and including September 26th, harvests of and carminative (18). Chinese doctors utilize the fruits tops 6 to 8 in. (15 to 20 cm) high were made and supplied as a remedy for plethora and the rootstock (of white types) to Tropi-Pak for further testing and they were found to in treating colds, cholera-like illnesses in children, and be acceptable to customers as sufficiently tender and also of urinary complaints, especially when there is blood in the agreeable flavor. The taste is much like that of young leaves urine (21). of ordinary celery (Apium graveolens L.) but a bit more resinous. Experimental Culture in Florida In spite of fertilizations, regrowth slowed with repeated

After unsuccessful attempts to obtain seed from seeds men in Japan, we obtained one small live plant from Robert Hirano, Assistant Researcher, Lyon Arboretum, Hawaii, in November 1977. This specimen grew and multiplied quickly in the glasshouse and, on December 5th, it was divided and 30 sprigs were set outside in the north half of a concrete tank, 4i/2 x 9 ft. (1.37 x 2.75 m.), of flooded Terra Ceia muck soil, spaced 9 in. (22.8 cm.) apart. On December 28th, the air temperature dropped to 31°F. (—0.55° C), damaging water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica Forsk.), taro (Colocasia esculenta Schott) and other nearby plants, but causing only a slight color change—purpling— in water celery. By mid-March, the water celery had filled the north half of the tank and was spreading into the south half (Fig. 4). On June 6, 10 lbs. (4.5 kg.) of leafy stalks 15 in. (38 cm.) long were harvested and supplied tot Dennis Murasaki, proprietor of Tropi-Pak, Miami, for market sampling (Fig. 5). Shoots were transplanted into the south half of the tank and the entire tank was fertilized with Miller's Nutraleaf 60 at 5 g N/M2. On June 30th, 8 lbs. (3.6 kg) of leafy stalks 12 to 15 in (30 to 37.5 cm) long were cut, frozen and shipped to the United States Department of Agri culture's Northern Regional Research and Education Center, Peoria, Illinois, for chemical study. Then fertiliza tion was repeated. Tropi-Pak had reported that Oriental customers found the stalks over-mature and slightly tough. Accordingly, on Fig. 5. Water celery tops cut for first market trial. June 13 th, July 12 th and approximately every 2 to 3 weeks Photo by Julia Morton

Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 91: 1978. 303 harvests, presumably because of the dense matting of the Chemical Analyses stolons and fibrous roots which clogged the entire length Analyses of tank-grown plant material made by Dr. of the tank (Fig. 6). We believe that this stolon mass build F. M. Pate, Associate Professor, AREC, Belle Glade, are up resulted from harvesting by shearing the tops rather shown in Table 1. than pulling up the young shoots with their attached root lets as is done in Hawaii and which would maintain the Table 1. Laboratory analyses of water celery, tank-grown at AREC, planting in a more juvenile state. Belle Glade, Florida.z

Dry mattery 11.5 Crude protein 16.7 Crude fiber 11.1 Ether extract (includes fats and waxes) 2.9 Ash 14.8 NFEx 54.6 NDF* 28.2 ADFx 17.2 Cellulose 11.5 Lignin 5.5 Calcium 2.52 Phosphorus 0.76

; of mature plants, approx. 6 in. (15 cm.). yDry matter presented as a percentage of the fresh plant sample. All other analyses presented as percentages of the dry matter. XNFE = nitrogen free extract; NDF = neutral detergent fiber; and ADF = acid detergent fiber.

Table 2. Analyses of water celery as purchased on the Shanghai market, z

Edible portion 86 Dry mattery 6.7 Protein 22.5 Fat 4.2 Carbohydrate 36.9 Crude fiber 15.5 Calories (100 gm) 283.6 Ash 20.9 Calcium 0.93 Fig. 6. Dense growth of water celery in tank after several harvests Phosphorus 0.79 by shearing tops. Roots and stolons are thickly matted. Iron 0.08 Photo by Julia Morton Potassium 8.16

On October 13 th, the leafy tops, 4 to 6 in (10 to 15 cm) ^Adapted from B. E. Read et al. (19). All the analyses were made high, were harvested from the entire tank and 33 lbs (15 according to the methods of the Association of Official Agricultural kg) were frozen for shipment to Peoria. All plant material Chemists, 1930, expressed as percentages of the edible portion. was removed from the north half of the tank and new sprigs yDry matter presented as a percentage of the fresh plant sample. All other analyses presented as percentages of the dry matter. were placed on 6 in. (15 cm) centers. Analyses of plants purchased on the Shanghai market, Diseases and Pests made at the Henry Lester Institute of Medical Research, Shanghai, 1927, are shown in Table 2. No symptoms of disease have been seen on these plants. The plant contains the flavonoid, persicarin, common On several occasions, lepidopterous larvae were observed to many marsh plants (25). The fruits yield 1.5% of a eating the foliage. They were few in number and were fragrant essential oil containing phellandrene and myristi- picked off by hand. cin (10). In China, some strains of the plant with red stolons are Experimental Marketing regarded as possibly unwholesome (21). O. crocata L., of the United Kingdom and Europe, has thick, poisonous roots Water celery was tried out in the fresh produce sections (9) containing three long chain acetylenic alcohols, oenan- of two supermarkets in Orlando and one in Pompano, as thotoxin, oenanthetal and oenanthetone (28). O. aquatica well as at Tropi-Pak in Miami. All of it, even the oversize Poir., O. fistulosa L., and O. phellandrium Lam. are re material first harvested, sold readily at the introductory portedly less toxic. price of $0.50 per pound. At Tropi-Pak, it was recognized Because of these relationships, it has seemed to us de and purchased with especial pleasure by customers from sirable to have Florida-grown water celery examined for Thailand. any toxic factors, even though the starting material was derived from a source commonly used for food purposes in Preliminary packing in unperforated plastic bags tended Hawaii. We have been fortunate in gaining the coopera to compress the material. Perforated plastic bags were more tion of Dr. Bert Princen and Dr. Harvey Tookey, of the satisfactory. Finally, the best packaging method proved to Northern Regional Research Center, in Peoria, and the be a loose pack in plastic-covered styrofoam trays. To stimu frozen tops sent to them are currently under study. late repeat sales to the general public, Mr. Murasaki pro poses that the ^W-meatloaf recipe be visibly included in Conclusion the package. Like other leafy vegetables, water celery must be refrigerated if held over in the market or in the home. Water celery is vigorous and attractive and, judging

304 Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc, 91; 1978. from our experience, easy to grow all-year without cold 14. Morton, J. F. and G. H. Snyder. 1976. Aquatic crops vs. organic damage or other difficulty. When loosely packed, it holds soil subsidence. Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 89:125-129. 15. Murasaki, D. and J. Murasaki. 1978. Personal communications. up well on produce counters, will sell automatically in June 9; Oct. 25. Oriental food stores, and has a good potential for sale to the 16. Neal, M. C. 1965. In Gardens of Hawaii. Rev'd ed. Spec. Pub. 50. general public. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 924 pp. 17. Ochse, J. J. and R. C. Bakhuizen van den Brink. 1931. Vegetables of the Dutch East Indies. Dept. of Agric, Indus. & Comm. of the Literature Cited Netherlands East Indies, Buitenzorg, Java. 1,004 pp. 18. Petelot, A. 1952. Plantes medicinales du Cambodge, du Laos et du 1. Altschul, S. v. R. 1973. Drugs and foods from little-known plants. Vietnam. Vol., I. #14. Centre de Recherches Sci. et Tech., Arch, Harvard Univ. Press, Cambridge, Mass. 366 pp. des Rech. Agron. au Camb., au Laos, et au Vietnam, Saigon. 408 2. Anonymous. 1966. Wealth of India: Raw Materials. Vol. VII. pp. Council of Sci. & Indus. Res., New Delhi. 330 pp. 19. Read, B. E., Lee Wei Yung and Ch'eng Jih Kuang. 1937. Shanghai 3. Bailey, F. M. 1900. The Queensland Mora. Pt. II. The Queens foods. Spec. Rpt. Ser. #8. Chinese Medical Association, Shanghai, land Government, Brisbane, Australia. 737 pp. China. 105 pp. 4. Backer, C. A. and R. C. Bakhuizen van den Brink, Jr. 1965. Flora 20. St. John, H. 1973. List and summary of the flowering plants in of Java. Vol. II. P. Noordhoff, Groningen, The Netherlands. 641 the Hawaiian Islands. Mem. 1. Pacific Tropical Botanical Garden, pp. Lawai, Kauai, Hawaii. 519 pp. 5. Burkill, I. H. 1935. Dictionary of the economic products of the 21. Stuart, Rev. G. A., M. D. 1911. Chinese Materia Medica. American Malay Peninsula. 2 vols. Crown Agents for the Colonies, London, Presbyterian Mission Press, Shanghai. 558 pp. England. 2,402 pp. 22. Sturtevant, Dr. E. L. (edited by U. P. Hedrick). 1919. Sturtevant's 6. Chung, H. L. and J. C. Ripperton. 1929. Utilization and com notes on edible plants. New York Agric. Exper. Sta., Geneva, New position of Oriental vegetables in Hawaii. Bui. 60. Hawaii Agric. York. 686 pp. Exper. Sta., Honolulu. 64 pp. 23. Takaya, Y., Managing Director, Export Section, Takii & Co., Ltd., 7. Herklots, G. A. C. 1972. Vegetables in South-East Asia. Hafner Kyoto, Japan. 1977. Personal communication, May 21. Press Div., Macmillan Pub. Co., Inc., New York. 537 pp. 24. Tardieu-Blot, M.-L. 1967. Flore du Cambodge, du Laos et du Viet 8. Heyne, K. 1950. De nuttige plan ten van Indonesie. Vol. I. W. van nam. Fasc. 5. (Umbelliferae pp. 3-77). Museum National d' Hoeve- 's-Gravenhage/Bandung. 1,450 pp. Histoire Naturelle, Paris. 157 pp. 9. Heywood, V. H. (editor). 1971. The biology and chemistry of the 25. Tatsuta, H. and Y. Ochii. 1956. Extraction of persicarin from Umbelliferae. Supp. 1, Botanical J. Linnean Soc, Vol. 64. Aca Oenanthe stolonifera. Sci. Rpts. Tohoku Univ., First Ser. 39:243-5. demic Press, London. 438 pp. [Chem. Abs. 51:5918 (1957)]. 10. Kurono, G. and I. Yamaguchi. 1952. The essential oil from the 26. Terra, G. J. A. 1966. Tropical vegetables: vegetable growing in fruits of Oenanthe stolonifera. Ann. Rept. Fac. Pharm. Kanasawa the tropics and subtropics, especially of indigenous vegetables. Vniv. 2:1-2. [Chem. Abs. 48:4777 (1954)]. Comm. 54e. Royal Tropical Institute and Netherlands Organ, for 11. Lee, T. B. 1969. Wild edible plants. Forest Research Institute, Internat. Assist., Amsterdam. 107 pp. Seoul, Korea. 141 pp. 27. Uphof, J. C. Th. 1968. Dictionary of economic plants. J. Cramer, 12. Maheshwari, J. K. 1963. The Flora of Delhi. Coun. Sci. & Indus. Lehre, Germany. 591 pp. Res., New Delhi. 447 pp. 28. Verdcourt, B. and E. C. Trump. 1969. Common poisonous plants 13. Massal, E. and J. Barrau. 1956. Food plants of the South Sea of East Africa. Collins, St. James's Place, London. 254 pp. Islands. Tech. Paper No. 94. South Pacific Commission, Noumea, 29. Whiting, Dr. Marjorie Grant, Washington, D. C. 1978. Personal New Caledonia. 52 pp. communications, October 4 and 25.

Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 91: 305-310. 1978.

CELERY SEEDBED SEEDERS-THEIR EVOLUTION AND PERFORMANCE

V. L. Guzman is conservatively estimated that more than $34.00 per acre3 University of Florida, is gained by using the precision IFAS drill. In the other test, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, the raw seed drill, the vacuum precision and the IFAS pre Agricultural Research and Education Center, cision drills were used. Plant samples were taken 4, 12 and P. O. Drawer A, Belle Glade, FL 33430 24 in from the edge of the bed and each plot was harvested 3 times. Significant differences due to the seeders were found Additional index words. Apium graveolens L. var. dulce, for length of tops and roots, for weight and number of coated seeds. leaves in harvest 1; total plant weight and top weight for harvest 2; and length of tops and roots and number of Abstract. A brief narrative is given of the evolution of leaves in harvest 3. All above factors were higher for the the celery seedbed seeders in south Florida. The seeders precision seeders. In most cases significantly better responses were compared in 2 tests conducted in organic soils. In were found 4 inches from the edge of the bed than 12 or one test, the number of seedlings for the raw seed drill 24 inches inside the bed. The 2 precision seeders were simi was 115/ft- and 48/ft2 for the IFAS precision drill. Intended lar in performance and superior to the raw seed drill in population was 55-60/ft2. Seedling harvesting output was producing uniform seedlings with the potential of giving 100% more efficient for the IFAS precision drill than for high yields. the raw seed drill. Skips after transplanting were 7.5% for the raw seed drill and 2.2% for the IFAS precision drill. It Celery production in organic soils of Palm Beach County has increased from 4000 acres in the early fifties to about

iFlorida Agricultural Experiment Stations Journal Series No. 1468. 9000 acres in the sixties and seventies (1). In Florida, celery 2Research supported in part by grants by the celery growers through is grown in seedbeds for approximately 3 months and then the Florida Celery Exchange. Appreciation is expressed particularly transplanted. During the last 25 years notable improvements to George M. Talbott for his suggestions and interest in this project, have occurred in celery seedling production technology to Leslie Poe for his assistance in testing the IFAS precision seeder, and to Dr. Frank G. Martin for the analysis and interpretation of (5, 6, 7, 8 & 9). The implements and rate of seeding, quality the data. of the seeds and transplants and structures for growing the 3For metric conversions see table at front of this volume. Ed. seedling have all changed.

Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 91: 1978. 305