Origin
Southern Europe, western Asia and northern Africa.

Etymology
From the Lombard seleri, ultimately from the Latin selenon. The plant was originally believed to be under the influence of the moon goddess, Selene. A brownish, very bumpy root vegetable of the Umbelliferae family, resembling a large turnip.

A symbol of joy and beauty, and later of victory and triumph for the Greeks and Romans, celeriac has been a food plant since the Renaissance, though widespread consumption dates only from the mid-19th century.