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Scouler's corydalis, Scouler's fumewort, western corydalis

Habit Plants perennial, from large, fleshy rhizomes.
Stems

1 or more, mostly 5-10 dm.

Leaves

ca. 3, compound, 10 cm or more;

blade with 3 orders of leaflets and lobes; ultimate lobes broadly elliptic or less commonly ovate to obovate with rounded apex, sometimes narrowly elliptic with acute apex, 1-8 × 0.5-4 cm, minutely apiculate.

Inflorescences

axillary or terminal, racemose or paniculate, 15-35-flowered on primary axis;

bracts inconspicuous, proximal bracts narrowly elliptic, distal linear and much reduced.

Flowers

erect;

pedicel 2-5 mm;

sepals caducous, ovate to broadly lanceolate, 1-2 mm, margins lacerate or dentate;

petals light to deep pink; spurred petal usually somewhat curved, 20-25 mm, spur lanceoloid, 14-20 mm, crest well developed, usually exceeding petal apices, marginal wing absent; unspurred outer petal boat-shaped, 12-15 mm;

inner petals not tipped deep red or purple, usually 9-11 mm, blade much wider at apex, claw slender, equaling blade in length; nectariferous spur 1/2-2/3 length of petal spur, bent or hooked at apex;

style ca. 3 mm;

stigma roughly triangular, with 2 apical and 2 lateral papillae.

Capsules

reflexed, obovoid, 10-15 × 4-5 mm.

Seeds

ca. 3.5 mm diam., with numerous small protuberances.

2n

= ca. 130.

Corydalis scouleri

Phenology Flowering mid spring–early summer.
Habitat Moist, shady woods, particularly along streams
Elevation 0-1100 m (0-3600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
OR; WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Corydalis scouleri is restricted to cool, wet habitats from northwestern Oregon northward to Vancouver Island. It is most easily distinguished from Corydalis caseana by the usually highly developed crests and absence of wings on its outer petals. The stigma is essentially triangular (versus rectangular in C. caseana), and the capsule shape (typically obovoid) is rarely approached in C. caseana.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 3.
Parent taxa Fumariaceae > Corydalis
Sibling taxa
C. aqua-gelidae, C. aurea, C. caseana, C. crystallina, C. curvisiliqua, C. flavula, C. micrantha, C. pauciflora, C. sempervirens
Name authority Hooker: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 1: 36, plate 14. (1829)
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