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

Brandegee's fumewort, Case's corydalis, fitweed, Sierra corydalis, Sierra fumewort

Habit Plants perennial, from large, fleshy rhizomes. Plants perennial, glaucous, from large, fleshy roots.
Stems

1 or more, mostly 5-10 dm.

1-several, 10-15 dm or more.

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.

ca. 5, compound, to 10 dm;

blade with 2-4 orders of leaflets and lobes; ultimate lobes of proximal cauline leaves narrowly to broadly elliptic, 1-5 cm, 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.

paniculate, 50 or more flowers on primary axis;

bracts inconspicuous, linear or narrowly elliptic, rarely wider, proximal bracts ca. 10 mm, distal greatly 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.

ascending or spreading;

pedicel 3-5 mm;

sepals persistent, round and irregularly dentate to ovate, lunate, or attenuate-lanceolate with broad, sometimes lobed base, 2-3 mm;

petals light pink to white, inner ones tipped reddish purple; spurred petal often incurved, 16-25 mm, spur tapered or not, 9-16 mm, apex obtuse, crest absent, inconspicuous, or extending into beak beyond petal apices, marginal wing narrow to broad, conspicuous; unspurred outer petal 10-15 mm;

inner petals 7-12 mm, claw 3-5 mm; nectariferous spur 1/2-3/4 length of petal spur;

style 3-4 mm;

stigma roughly rectangular, with 8 papillae.

Capsules

reflexed, obovoid, 10-15 × 4-5 mm.

reflexed, ellipsoid, 10-15 × ca. 3-5 mm.

Seeds

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

ca. 2.5 mm diam., with numerous minute protuberances.

2n

= ca. 130.

Corydalis scouleri

Corydalis caseana

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]
from FNA
CA; CO; ID; NM; OR; UT
[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.)

Subspecies 5 (5 in the flora).

Significant livestock losses have been caused by ingestion of Corydalis caseana, which is palatable to both cattle and sheep, despite the toxicity.

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

Key
1. Outer petals with marginal wing narrow or absent, apex of unspurred outer petal acute; California.
subsp. caseana
1. Outer petals with marginal wing moderately to highly developed, apex of unspurred outer petal not acute; other than California.
→ 2
2. Outer petals with marginal wing scarcely revolute, apex rounded, sometimes minutely apiculate or notched.
→ 3
2. Outer petals with marginal wing distinctly revolute, apex distinctly notched.
→ 4
3. Outer petals minutely apiculate; stems mostly 10–15 dm; Colorado and New Mexico.
subsp. brandegei
3. Outer petals not minutely apiculate, occasionally minutely notched; stems mostly 4–10 dm; Utah.
subsp. brachycarpa
4. Inflorescences profusely branching; outer petals with marginal wing moderately developed, minutely eroded; n Idaho.
subsp. hastata
4. Inflorescences not profusely branching; outer petals with marginal wing highly developed, not minutely eroded; ne Oregon and s Idaho.
subsp. cusickii
Source FNA vol. 3. FNA vol. 3.
Parent taxa Fumariaceae > Corydalis Fumariaceae > Corydalis
Sibling taxa
C. aqua-gelidae, C. aurea, C. caseana, C. crystallina, C. curvisiliqua, C. flavula, C. micrantha, C. pauciflora, C. sempervirens
C. aqua-gelidae, C. aurea, C. crystallina, C. curvisiliqua, C. flavula, C. micrantha, C. pauciflora, C. scouleri, C. sempervirens
Subordinate taxa
C. caseana subsp. brachycarpa, C. caseana subsp. brandegei, C. caseana subsp. caseana, C. caseana subsp. cusickii, C. caseana subsp. hastata
Name authority Hooker: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 1: 36, plate 14. (1829) A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 10: 69. (1874)
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