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- Corydalis flavula
Corydalis flavula — short-spurred corydalis
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Facts
Short-spurred corydalis is very rare in New England, with a handful of populations known from south-central Connecticut. These are restricted to a narrow belt of open outcrops and the sparsely wooded summits of sub-acidic basalt ridges. These ridges support several other rare plant and animal species and are of high regional conservation importance. Trampling by hikers, damage from all-terrain vehicles, and competition from non-native species are among the dangers facing these populations.
Habitat
Cliffs, balds, or ledges, ridges or ledges, woodlands
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
Found this plant? Take a photo and post a sighting.
Characteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
- Connecticut
- Flower petal color
- yellow
- Leaf type
- the leaves are compound (made up of two or more discrete leaflets
- Leaf arrangement
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Leaf blade edges
- 
                                
                                    - the edge of the leaf blade has lobes, or it has both teeth and lobes
- the edge of the leaf blade is entire (has no teeth or lobes)
 
- Flower symmetry
- there is no way to evenly divide the flower (the flower is asymmetrical)
- Number of sepals, petals or tepals
- there are four petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower
- Fusion of sepals and petals
- 
                                
                                    - both the petals and sepals are separate and not fused
- the petals or the sepals are fused into a cup or tube
 
- Stamen number
- 6
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is dry and splits open when ripe
- Fruit length
- 14–30 mm
- 
                        Clonal plantlets- Bulbils
- the plant does not appear to have bulbils
 - Bulblets replace flowers
- there are no bulblets where the flowers are located
 
- 
                        Flowers- Anther spurs
- the anthers do not have spurs on them
 - Carpels fused
- the carpels are fused to one another
 - Cleistogamous flowers
- there are no cleistogamous flowers on the plan
 - Corolla palate
- no
 - Corona lobe length
- 0 mm
 - Epicalyx
- the flower does not have an epicalyx
 - Epicalyx number of parts
- 0
 - Flower description
- the flower has a superior ovary, and lacks a hypanthium
 - Flower petal color
- yellow
 - Flower reproductive parts
- the flower has both pollen- and seed-producing parts
 - Flower symmetry
- there is no way to evenly divide the flower (the flower is asymmetrical)
 - Flowers sunken into stem
- no
 - Form of style
- the style is lobed at the tip, and unbranched
 - Fused stamen clusters
- there are two clusters of fused stamens
 - Fusion of sepals and petals
- 
                                
                                    - both the petals and sepals are separate and not fused
- the petals or the sepals are fused into a cup or tube
 
 - Horns in hoods (Asclepias)
- NA
 - Hypanthium
- the flower does not have a hypanthium
 - Inflorescence one-sided
- the flowers are arrayed in a spiral around the inflorescence axis or branches, or occur singly, or in several ranks
 - Inner tepals (Rumex)
- NA
 - Nectar spur
- the flower has one or more nectar spurs
 - Number of carpels
- 2
 - Number of pistils
- 1
 - Number of sepals, petals or tepals
- there are four petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower
 - Number of styles
- 1
 - Ovary position
- the ovary is above the point of petal and/or sepal attachment
 - Petal and sepal arrangement
- the flower includes two cycles of petal- or sepal-like structures
 - Petal and sepal colors
- yellow
 - Petal appearance
- the petals are thin and delicate, and pigmented (colored other than green or brown)
 - Petal hairs (Viola)
- NA
 - Petal length
- 7–9 mm
 - Petal nectaries
- the petals have at least one nectary
 - Petal number
- 4
 - Petal tips (Cuscuta)
- NA
 - Reproductive system
- all the flowers have both carpels and stamens (synoecious)
 - Scales inside corolla
- no
 - Sepal and petal color
- the sepals are different from the petals
 - Sepal appendages
- the sepals do not have appendages on them
 - Sepal appendages (Oenothera)
- NA
 - Sepal length
- 0–0.3 mm
 - Sepal number
- 2
 - Stamen attachment
- 
                                
                                    - the stamens are attached at or near the bases of the petals or tepals
- the stamens are not attached to the petals or tepals
 
 - Stamen number
- 6
 - Stamen position relative to petals
- the stamens are lined up with the petals
 - Stamens fused
- the stamens are attached to one another at or near their bases
 - Staminodes
- there are no staminodes on the flower
 - Stigma position
- the stigmas are positioned at the tip of the style
 - Style petal-like
- the styles are not petal-like
 - Umbel flower reproductive parts
- NA
 - Upper lip of bilabiate corolla
- NA
 
- 
                        Fruits or seeds- Achene relative orientation
- NA
 - Achene shape
- NA
 - Achene surface (Polygonum)
- NA
 - Achene type
- NA
 - Berry color
- NA
 - Capsule color (Viola)
- NA
 - Fruit (pyxis) dehiscence
- NA
 - Fruit features (Brassicaceae)
- NA
 - Fruit length
- 14–30 mm
 - Fruit locules
- one
 - Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is dry and splits open when ripe
 - Fruit type (specific)
- the fruit is a capsule (splits along two or more seams, apical teeth or pores when dry, to release two or more seeds)
 - Legumes (Fabaceae)
- NA
 - Mericarp length
- 0 mm
 - Mericarp segment shape (Desmodium)
- NA
 - Other markings on berry
- NA
 - Ovary stipe
- the ovary or fruit does not have a stipe
 - Placenta arrangement
- the plant has parietal placentation, where ovules develop on the wall or slight outgrowths of the wall forming broken partitions within a compound ovary
 - Rows of seeds in fruit (Brassicaceae)
- NA
 - Schizocarpic fruit compression
- NA
 - Schizocarpic fruit segments
- 0
 - Septum in fruit (Brassicaceae)
- NA
 - Wings on fruit
- the fruit does not have wings on it
 - prickles on fruits
- the fruits do not have thorn-like defensive structures
 
- 
                        Glands or sap- Glands on leaf blade
- the leaf blades do not have glandular dots or scales
 - Sap
- the sap is clear and watery
 - Sap color
- the sap is clear
 
- 
                        Growth form- Growth form
- the plant is an herb (it has self-supporting stems)
 - Horizontal rooting stem
- the plant does not have stolons
 - Lifespan
- the plant lives only a single year or less
 - Parasitism
- the plant is not parasitic
 - Plant color
- the leaves or young stems of the plant are green
 - Plants darken when dry
- no
 - Spines on plant
- the plant has no spines
 - Underground organs
- there is a thickened taproot on the plant
 
- 
                        Leaves- Bracteole number (Apiaceae)
- 0
 - Bracts in plantain (Plantago)
- NA
 - Hairs on underside of leaf
- the underside of the leaf is not hairy, or it has very few hairs
 - Hairs on upper side of leaf
- the upper side of the leaf is not hairy, or it has very few hairs
 - Leaf arrangement
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
 - Leaf blade base
- the leaf has a distinct leaf stalk (petiole)
 - Leaf blade base shape
- the base of the leaf blade is cuneate (wedge-shaped, tapers to the base with relatively straight, converging edges), or narrow
 - Leaf blade edges
- 
                                
                                    - the edge of the leaf blade has lobes, or it has both teeth and lobes
- the edge of the leaf blade is entire (has no teeth or lobes)
 
 - Leaf blade hairs
- NA
 - Leaf blade shape
- 
                                
                                    - the leaf blade is oblong (rectangular but with rounded ends)
- the leaf blade is ovate (widest below the middle and broadly tapering at both ends)
- the leaf blade is triangular, with the stalk or attachment point on one of the sides
 
 - Leaf blade surface colors
- the upper side of the leaf blade is relatively uniform in color
 - Leaf duration
- the leaves drop off in winter (or they whither but persist on the plant)
 - Leaf form
- the leaves are green, with an expanded blade and a leaf-like texture
 - Leaf spines
- there are no spines on the leaf edges
 - Leaf stalk
- the leaves have leaf stalks
 - Leaf stalk attachment to leaf
- the petiole attaches at the basal margin of the leaf blade
 - Leaf type
- the leaves are compound (made up of two or more discrete leaflets
 - Leaf variation
- the leaves are nearly similar in size, prominence of teeth, and length of stalks throughout the stem
 - Leaves per node
- there is one leaf per node along the stem
 - Pinnately compound leaf type
- the pinnately compound leaves have a terminal leaflet (and usually have an odd number of leaflets per axis)
 - Specific leaf type
- the leaf has a row of two or more lobes on each side of the central axis, and each lobe itself has rows of lobes on each side of the lobe's central axis
 - Stipule features
- NA
 - Stipules
- there are no stipules on the plant
 
- 
                        Place- Habitat
- terrestrial
 - New England state
- Connecticut
 - Specific habitat
- 
                                
                                    - cliffs, balds, or ledges
- ridges or ledges
- woodlands
 
 
- 
                        Stem, shoot, branch- Branched tendrils
- NA
 - Hair between stem nodes
- the stem has no hairs between the nodes
 - Plant height
- 15–30 cm
 - Stem orientation
- 
                                
                                    - the stems are upright or angled outwards
- the stems trail at the base, but may turn upwards at the tips
 
 - Tendril origin
- NA
 - Tendrils
- the plant does not have tendrils
 
Wetland status
Usually occurs in non-wetlands, but occasionally in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FACU)
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- absent
- Massachusetts
- absent
- New Hampshire
- absent
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- absent
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Connecticut
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1), threatened (code: T)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
2. Corydalis flavula (Raf.) DC. NC
short-spurred corydalis. Capnoides flavulum (Raf.) Kuntze • CT. Woodlands, rocky ridges, balds, usually on trap rock.
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
- Corydalis aurea:
- corolla bright yellow, 12–16 mm long, and spur 4-5 mm long (vs. C. flavula, with corolla pale yellow, 7-9 mm long, and spur 1-1.5 mm long).
Synonyms
- Capnoides flavulum (Raf.) Kuntze
![Flowers: Corydalis flavula. ~ By Eleanor Saulys. ~ Copyright © 2025 Eleanor Saulys. ~ sam.saulys[at]comcast.net ~ Connecticut Botanical Society - www.ct-botanical-society.org/](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-239x239/Papaveraceae/corydalis-flavula-fl-esaulys.jpg) 
                         
                         
                        ![Plant form: Corydalis flavula. ~ By Eleanor Saulys. ~ Copyright © 2025 Eleanor Saulys. ~ sam.saulys[at]comcast.net ~ Connecticut Botanical Society - www.ct-botanical-society.org/](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-239x239/Papaveraceae/corydalis-flavula-ha-esaulys.jpg) 
                         
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