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.
Many of the species in Corydalis contain other toxins and alkaloids like canadine, which blocks calcium. The species C. caseana is poisonous to livestock.
Taxonomy
Current species
There are about 540 species, including:
Corydalis ambigua
Corydalis aurea
Corydalis buschii
Corydalis bracteata
Corydalis cava
Corydalis caseana
Corydalis cheilanthifolia – ferny corydalis
Corydalis chelidoniifolia
Corydalis darwasica
Corydalis elegans
Corydalis filistipes
Corydalis flavula
Corydalis flexuosa
Corydalis heterocarpa
Corydalis incisa
Corydalis integra
Corydalis linstowiana
Corydalis micrantha
Corydalis nobilis
Corydalis ochotensis
Corydalis omeiana
Corydalis orthoceras
Corydalis palaestina
Corydalis pallida
Corydalis pauciflora
Corydalis pauciovulata
Corydalis rutifolia
Corydalis saxicola
Corydalis scouleri
Corydalis solida – fumewort
Corydalis vittae
Corydalis wilsonii
Corydalis yanhusuo
Former species
Several former Corydalis have been moved to new genera: Pseudofumaria Corydalis lutea = Pseudofumaria lutea – yellow corydalis Corydalis ochroleuca = Pseudofumaria alba