Corydalis stricta Steph. ex DC.

A very polymorphic species in habit and leaf segmentation, flower size etc., but constant in its elongated linear fruit. It appears that the true Corydalis stricta with sessile or almost sessile somewhat broader leaf segments and small flowers (as figured in Ledebour, l.c.) is not fully representative of the entire range of variation in this species. Adequate material from C. Asia, Altai and Himalayas etc., are needed for further studies, especially for establishing infra specific taxa. Corydalis pseudostricta M. Pop. (in Kom. l.c. 752) with profusely branched habit, loose racemes and broader leaves is also hardly different from it. Corydalis osmastonii Fedde, described from very fragmentary specimen, without complete leaf, inflorescence, bracts and fruits, and said to have longer flowers (18-20 mm long) is also not different from this species.

Erect, stout perennial, usually tufted, (15-) 25-50 (-60) cm tall, with simple or sparsely branched, striated stem, much exceeding the radical leaves, apparently glabrous, glaucous; rootstock thick, simple or shortly branched, with rigid, often shining sheathing leaf bases. Radical leaves many, often congested, somewhat fleshy, 7-15 cm long, (1.5-) 2-4 cm broad, 2-3-pinnatisect, with petiole about as long as the lamina; pinnae petioluled to sessile, in 3-5 lateral pairs and a terminal one, 1.5-3 cm long, 1-1.5 cm broad, 3-4-lobed, each lobe again ternately lobuled (ultimate segments); lobule very variable, ovate-trangulate to linear-oblong, (1-) 3-6 (-8) mm long, 1-3 mm broad, acute or minutely acuminate, sometimes shortly mucronate or ciliate, cauline leaves alternate, subopposite, few to many, similar but gradually becoming smaller upwards, sessile to conspicuously stalked, with or without a sheathing base. Recemes terminal, usually dense and congested, simple (rarely branched below), 20-30-flowered, 3-5 cm long, 2-4 cm broad; bracts hyaline, membranous to submembranous, 3-6 (-8) mm long, subulate or linear, about as long as the pedicel, entire to denticulate, acute to acuminate. Flowers yellow, 12-15 (-18) mm long, including 2.5-4 mm long spur, subglobose or gibbous at base. Sepal 2-4 mm long, ovate to lance-shaped, with fimbriate base. Upper petals slender, abruptly semiglobose near the apex and somewhat upcurved acsuminate or mucronate tip, not dorsally winged. but margins slightly expanded and fimbriate; lower petal similar to the lamina of upper petal, slender, narrow below, not or hardly saccate at base. Capsule linear, 20-30 mm long, 2.5-3.5 mm broad, straight, often pendulous on a somewhat thickened pedicel, many seeded, with ± uniseriate seeds; style 2-3 mm long, curved at apex with broad stigma; seeds c. 2 mm in diam., shining black.

Ladak, Nepal, Tibet, Altai.

Distribution: C. Asia, Pamir-Alai, W. Tibet, and Kashmir.

4100-5400 m

Fl. Per.: May - July.