- corydalis
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/keuh rid"l is/, n.any of the erect or climbing plants constituting the genus Corydalis, of the poppy family, having divided leaves, tuberous or fibrous roots, and clusters of irregular spurred flowers.[1810-20; < NL < Gk korydallís, extended var. of korydós crested lark, deriv. of koryd-, var. of KORYTH- (s. of kórys) helmet, head, crest; akin to kára head]
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▪ plant genusgenus of about 300 species of plants in the poppy family (Papaveraceae) native to North Temperate areas and southern Africa. Most are weak-stemmed perennial garden plants with underground tubers and lobed or finely dissected leaves, although the climbing corydalis (C. claviculata) of Great Britain is an annual with short sprays of cream-coloured, tubular flowers. Yellow corydalis (C. lutea) of southern Europe is a popular garden perennial with 22-centimetre- (about 9-inch-) tall sprays of yellow tubular blooms. Native North American species include pale or pink corydalis, or Roman wormwood (C. sempervirens), a 60-centimetre-tall annual with pink, yellow-tipped flowers; and golden corydalis (C. aurea), a 15-centimetre annual.* * *
Universalium. 2010.
