Corydalis vaginans Royle

It differs from Corydalis longipes DC., by its much branched, leafy habit, leaves slightly to conspicuously sheathing at base, spur as long or a little longer than the lamina of outer petal and obtuse. It is used in Eye diseases. Vern.: Mamiran, Mamiri.

It has been pointed out that Corydalis ramose Wall. (nom. nud.) is different from Corydalis ramose Hook. f. & Thoms. (l.c. 267; Hook. f., l.c. 125), and the latter was named Corydalis stracheyi Duthie ex Prain (l.c.). However, Corydalis vaginans Royle and Corydalis nana Royle, both earlier validly published species, were included as synonyms of Corydalis ramose Hook. f. & Thoms. Corydalis nana is a smaller species with longer rootstock, than the Corydalis vaginans. This, therefore, invalidates the name Corydalis ramose Hook. f. & Thoms. (and perhaps also Corydalis stracheyi Duthie ex Pram). Furthermore, Corydalis ramose Wall. ex Prain (l.c.; Fedde, l.c.) becomes an illegitimate name, because of the pre-existence of Corydalis ramose Hook. f. & Thoms. I have, therefore, adopted the name Corydalis vaginans Royle, for this species. Looking into the very variable nature of this species, Corydalis stracheyi Duthie ex Prain and Corydalis ramose Wall. ex Prain (nom. illegit.), are probably not specifically different from this species. However, our plants invariably have sheathing leaf bases and inconspicuously to conspicuously crested outer petals, and true Corydalis vaginans Royle.

Usually a weak, procumbent, perennial herb, (10-) 20-40 (-60) cm tall, much branched, leafy, glabrous, subglaucous; rootstock 3-5 mm broad, slender, simple or branched, often short noded; branches often long and straggling. Leaves usually 3-pinnately divided or decompound, 7-12 cm long, 3-4 cm broad (incl. petiole about half as long, ± sheathing at base) ; pinnae and pinnules petioluled; pinnules deeply lobed into a number of ultimate segments, 1-2 cm in diam., ovate to suborbicular; lobules or ultimate segments (2-) 4-10 (-12) mm long, 1-3 (-4) mm broad,, linear-oblong to obovate-oblong, apex acute to rounded, minutely acuminate. Racemes simple, many, terminating the branches, 3-12 cm long, lax in fruit, each 10-20-flowered, bracteate; bracts usually deeply dissected, sometimes upper most ones subentire or entire, leafy, lower ones 10-20 mm long, 3-sect, shortly stalked to sessile. Flowers small and broad, yellow, 10-12 mm long including spur half or slightly more than half as long, straight and obtuse. Sepals 1-1.5 mm in diam., minutely much dissected at the margin, membranous. Lamina of upper petal hooded and dorsally winged, wings denticulate to almost entire, very variable; lower petal similarly winged and saccate at base, Capsule ovate-oblong, 7-10 (-12) mm long, 3.5-5 mm broad, on about equally long or slightly longer pedicel, deflexed; valves finely striated; style 1.5-2 mm long with a dilated curved stigma; seeds 6-8 (-10), biseriate, 1.5-2 mm in diam., shining black.

Distribution: Himalayas, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Fl.Per.: May-Aug.