Western Wetland Flora
Field Office Guide to Plant Species
Corydalis caseana Gray
- Family: Poppy (Papaveraceae)
- Flowering: June-August
- Field Marks: The distinguishing features of the Corydalis are its white or pink flowers that are purple-tipped.
- Habitat: Along streams, in shaded woods.
- Habit: Perennial herb with thickened roots.
- Stems: Upright, stout and rather succulent, up to 1 foot long, each leaflet elliptic to lanceolate to ovate, pointed at the tip, tapering to the base, smooth, up to 1 inch long, without teeth.
- Leaves: Alternate, doubly pinnately compound, up to 1 foot long, each leaflet elliptic to lanceolate to ovate, pointed at the tip, tapering to the base, smooth, up to 1 inch long, without teeth.
- Flowers: Many, in racemes up to 5 inches long, each flower on a short stalk.
- Sepals: 2, green, free from each other, falling away early.
- Petals: 4, white or pink with purple tips, up to 2/3 inch long, one of the petals spurred.
- Stamens: 6.
- Pistils: Ovary superior; style persistent on the fruit.
- Fruits: Capsule oblongoid, 1/2-3/4 inch long, smooth, with numerous black, shiny, minutely warty seeds.
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