Corydalis 



FUMARIACEAE Corydalis 



united, and from which it differs in having ivatery sap and irregular fls.; sepals 2, 

 small and scale-like; petals 4, one or both of the outer pair spurred or saccate at 

 the base; carpels 2, united, becoming a 2-valved several-seeded capsule. 5 genera 

 with 170 species, mostly in north temperate regions; 3 genera and over 25 species in 

 China. 



Key to the Genera 



One of the two outer petals spurred at the base 1- Corydalis 



Both outer petals spurred at the base 2 - Dicentra 



1. Corydalis Medic. ^MM (Tzu Chin Shu) 

 Erect or spreading herbs: lower lvs. decompound: fls. in racemes; one of the 

 outer petals spurred at the base: capsule many-seeded. Over 100 species, north 

 temperate regions and south Africa; 20 in China. (The Greek name for the crested 

 lark.) 



Key to the Species 



a. Plants with underground tubers: fls. purple. 



Bracts of the infl. all entire : plant glabrous 1 • C. cava 



Bracts of the infl. all, or at least the lower, 3-lobed at the apex. 

 Floral bracts all lobed or incised: stem bearing a conspicuous 



bract below the lvs 2. C. solida 



Floral bracts about equal to the pedicel; the lower incised; the 



upper entire : plant puberulent 3. C. sheareri 



aa. Plants with fibrous roots, not tuberous : fls. pink, purple or yellow, 

 b. Fls. pink or purple : capsules not torulose. 



Bracts of the infl. deeply incised; fls. pink 4. C. incisa 



Bracts of the infl. entire, ovate, acuminate: fls. purple 5. C. edulis 



bb. Fls. yellow : capsules often torulose. 



c. Pods twisted; seeds with alternating rows of oblong depres- 

 sions and ridges: flg. bracts lanceolate; sepals broad-ovate, 

 with ragged margins", corolla curved, 11 mm. long, the 

 spur 1/2 the length of the tube : lvs. glaucous beneath, 



segments ovate 6. C. ophiocarpa 



cc. Pods not twisted, torulose or smooth, curved or nearly 

 straight: flg. bracts linear; corolla nearly straight, with 

 spur 1/3 the length of the tube. 

 Pods nearly straight, 2-5 cm. long; seeds muriculate, with 

 dense rows of short processes in concentiic arrange- 

 ment around the circumference : sepals ovate with 

 ragged margins; corolla 12-15 mm. long, lvs. slightly 



glaucous beneath, segments lanceolate-oblong 7. C. pallida 



Pods torulose, 3-4 cm. long: seeds echinulate, with dense 

 rows of slender processes in concentric arrangement 

 around the circumference : sepals narrow-ovate, acute, 

 with undulate margins: corolla 18-20 mm. long; lvs. 

 glaucous, segments ovate 8. C. racemosa 



1. Corydalis cava (L.) Schweig. & Korte (C. bulbosa Pers.) (B.M. 430). Fleshy herb, 

 15-30 cm. high; fls. purple, IV; fr. V. Eurasia; locally in Ku. Moist shade. 



2. Corydalis solida (L.) Sw. (C. bulbosa DC, non Pers.) M^M (Ch'flu Tzu Chin) 

 (B.M. 430). Herb, 1-2 dm. high; fls. blue, pink or purple, III-IV. Eurasia; 

 locally in Ku. Moist shade. 



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