龙骨籽紫堇 long gu zi zi jin

Type: China. Yunnan: Longyang Qu, Bawan Xiang, vicinity of km 22 on the Baoshan to Tengchong Road via Dahaoping Yakou, E side of Gaoligong Shan, 24°55′52″N, 98°47′47″E, SE-facing disturbed forest slope on limestone, alt. 1920 m, 30 May 2005, Gaoligong Shan Biodiversity Survey (GSBS) 26039 (holotype, KUN; isotypes, CAS, UPS).

Species ad gregem Corydalis leptocarpae pertinens, sed ab omnibus speciebus gregis habitu suberecto, caule basi foliis aggregatis praedito, petalis exterioribus late breviterque cristatis, cristis apices petalorum non attingentibus atque seminibus valde carinatis differt.

Paratypes: GSBS 17630 (CAS, KUN, UPS), GSBS 23671 (CAS, KUN, UPS).

Herbs, (?short-lived) perennial, 10-40 cm tall, above papillose-scabrid at petiole margins and veins abaxially on leaves and bracts. Rhizome small, with prominent persistent taproot at base, apically with 1(to few) sterile leaf rosettes. Stems several from axils of previous year’s rosette leaves, leafy and branched throughout, angular. Rosette leaves: petiole 3-8 cm, shortly vaginate at base; blade glaucous abaxially, olive-green adaxially, ovate to triangular, 2-5 × 1.5-5 cm, bi- to triternate, with leaflets ± deeply cut into coarsely crenate-dentate lobes, teeth obtuse, distinctly mucronate. Cauline leaves similar, but lateral pinnae less divided and petioles shorter, at base with membranous dentate auricles. Racemes (3-)6-12(-19)-flowered, dense in flower, elongating in fruit; bracts obovate to oblanceolate, 3-6 mm, ± divided into few to many mucronate lobes. Pedicel 3-5 mm, only slightly elongating and arcuate in fruit. Flowers white to purplish pink, darker at apex. Sepals rounded, 1-1.5 mm, finely serrate. Outer petals with short high crest not reaching apex, margin undulate-dentate, apex shortly acuminate; upper petal 19-22 mm; spur 10-12 mm, slender, slightly tapering; nectary ca. 4 mm; lower petal with narrow straight base; inner petals ca. 10 mm. Stigma square, with well-developed rounded basal lobes; marginal papillae 4, apical; geminate papillae lateral (submarginal) and on basal lobes. Fruit linear, subtorulose, 18-21 × 1-1.5 mm, (5-)9-13-seeded; style proper ca. 2.5 mm, but seedless beak of fruit 1-3 mm. Seeds 1-1.2 mm, smooth, sharply keeled with distinct uneven marginal rim; elaiosome large, lobed. Fl. and fr. May(-Aug).

● Disturbed subtropical forests; 1500-1900 m. W Yunnan (Gaoligong Shan).

This species is easily distinguished from other species in the Corydalis leptocarpa group by the more upright stems with leaves crowded at base, short broad crests of outer petals, and the small sharply keeled seeds.

The specific epithet refers to the keeled seeds, from Latin carinatus ("keeled").