Japan Fernleaf Corydalis (Corydalis heterocarpa) — identification, habitat & look-alikes

Japan Fernleaf Corydalis is an East Asian plant with yellow, pouch-shaped flowers, found in coastal areas and woodland margins. Its finely divided leaves resemble ferns, and its seedpods narrow between seeds like a string of beads. The plant is poisonous and should not be eaten.

Appearance

Growth form: This annual or herb usually reaches about 1–2 ft (30–60 cm) in Korean coastal populations.
Leaves: The blue-green leaves are divided twice into many deeply cut leaflets, giving them a fernlike look.
Flowers: Yellow flowers cluster at the tips of the stems. Each flower has a pouchlike spur at the back.
Fruit: The long narrows between seeds, creating a beadlike outline. The black seeds sit in one row.

Look-alikes

yellow fumewortCorydalis flavula

In North Carolina, yellow fumewort usually stays 4–12 in (10–30 cm) tall and flowers in late winter or early spring. Japan Fernleaf Corydalis can reach 1–2 ft (30–60 cm).

Why they get mixed upBoth have yellow, spurred flowers and finely divided leaves.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: coastal edges
rocky ground
woodland margins
Range: It is native to parts of China, Korea, and Japan.
Preferred conditions: In its native range it grows in temperate coastal and lowland sites, including rocky places and woodland edges.

Cautions

Cautions: The plant contains and is treated as poisonous; do not eat it.

Name and classification

About the name: The name “Japan Fernleaf Corydalis” refers to its fernlike leaves and Japanese range. Corydalis heterocarpa japonica is a Japanese variety of this species.

Conservation

IUCN Red List: NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed

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