Corydalis
Corydalis solida
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Ranunculales
Family:	Papaveraceae
Subfamily:	Fumarioideae
Tribe:	Fumarieae
Subtribe:	Corydalinae
Genus:	Corydalis DC.
Type species
Corydalis bulbosa ( L.) DC.

Corydalis (from Greek korydalís " crested lark") is a genus of about 540 species of annual and perennial herbaceous plants in the family Papaveraceae, native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere and the high mountains of tropical eastern Africa. They are most diverse in China and the Himalayas, with at least 357 species in China.

Ecology

Corydalis species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species (butterflies), especially the clouded Apollo.

Toxicity

Corydalis cava and some other tuberous species contain the alkaloid bulbocapnine, which is occasionally used in medicine but scientific evidence is lacking in the correct dosages and side effects. ^[1]

Many of the species in Corydalis contain other toxins and alkaloids like canadine, which blocks calcium. The species C. caseana is poisonous to livestock. ^[2]

Taxonomy

Current species

There are about 540 species, including:

• Photos of Corydalis species listed above
• 
  Corydalis ambigua
• 
  Golden smoke (Corydalis aurea)
• 
  Corydalis buschii
• 
  Corydalis bracteata
• 
  Corydalis caseana
• 
  Corydalis cava
• 
  Ferny corydalis (Corydalis cheilanthifolia)
• 
  Corydalis chelidoniifolia
• 
  Corydalis flavula
• 
  Corydalis flexuosa
• 
  Corydalis heterocarpa
• 
  Corydalis integra
• 
  Corydalis linstowiana
• 
  Corydalis nobilis
• 
  Corydalis ochotensis
• 
  Corydalis orthoceras
• 
  Corydalis pallida var. tenuis
• 
  Corydalis pauciflora
• 
  Seed pods of Corydalis pauciovulata
• 
  Corydalis rutifolia
• 
  Corydalis scouleri
• 
  Corydalis solida
• 
  Corydalis vittae
• 
  Corydalis wilsonii

Former species

Several former Corydalis have been moved to new genera:

Pseudofumaria

• Corydalis lutea = Pseudofumaria lutea – yellow corydalis
• Corydalis ochroleuca = Pseudofumaria alba

Capnoides

• Corydalis sempervirens = Capnoides sempervirens

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Corydalis.

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