Small corydalis is an early-spring wildflower of East Asia that blooms briefly in woodland shade and then dies back to a round underground until the next spring. It is native to the Russian Far East, Korea, and northern Japan and does not grow wild in the US. The Ainu people of northern Japan traditionally ate its boiled tubers.
Appearance
- Growth form
- A hairless perennial about 4–12 in (10–30 cm) tall, growing from a round tuber 0.4–0.8 in (1–2 cm) across.
- Leaves
- One scale-like leaf at the base and two divided leaves on the flowering stem.
- Flowers
- A short spike of spurred, tube-shaped flowers, usually sky blue to blue-violet; white-flowered plants also occur.
- Flowering time
- April–May in northern Japan
- Fruit
- Black, smooth, shiny seeds.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- Woodlands
- Shady forest edges
- Range
- Russian Far East (including the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin) to Korea and northern Japan. Its exact range is unclear because related species have often been confused with it.
- Preferred conditions
- Moist, shady woodland floors.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed
Culture and stories
- Culture and stories
- The Ainu boiled the slightly bitter tubers several times to remove the bitterness, then ate them plain or with rice, often drying them for later use.
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