Corydalis is a tall herbaceous plant from the poppy family. It is found everywhere in the Northern Hemisphere, from the subtropical climate to the north. The plant is characterized by abundant and early flowering. Large bushes with lush dark green shoots and dense bright inflorescences will decorate the garden in mid-spring. They effectively cover bare ground. In care, the Corydalis is unpretentious. It grows well under the shade of trees and on the sunny edges. In this case, the plant has pronounced healing properties.
Botanical Description
Corydalis is a numerous genus in the Poppy family, which is attributed to the Dymyankov subfamily. Perennial, and sometimes annual, plants have a grassy shape. Their erect, juicy stems grow 15-45 cm in height. The massive rhizome is deep enough. It consists of branched processes on which thickenings in the form of rounded or oval tubers sometimes form. They collect nutrients that help the corydalis quickly set into growth after a thaw.
At the base of the stem is 2-4 leaves. Petiole dark green foliage with a bluish bloom is similar to fern leaves. It is dissected into triangular or rounded lobes. Each plot has its own thin stalk.
Since mid-April, cylindrical inflorescences bloom at the tops of shoots. Initially, the buds are more crowded, but gradually become looser. The inflorescence consists of 5-35 long flowers. Their petals can be painted in white, yellow, pink, purple and purple shades. The length of the corolla is 15-25 mm. It consists of large bracts and smaller, pointed sepals. Each flower has an elongated spur; nectar accumulates in it, which is accessible only by insects with long proboscis.
As a result of pollination on the stems, dry seed boxes of oblong shape ripen. Behind the thick, pointed walls hides small shiny seeds of black color. Each seed has a white fleshy growth with nutrients. For their sake, the seeds are collected and carried over long distances by ants.
Types of Corydalis
In total, over 320 plant species are registered in the genus Corydalis. They are divided into groups depending on the growing conditions. For example, there are desert Corydalis (common in Central Asia) or forest Corydalis. It is the latter that are most often used in domestic gardens.
Corydalis dense (Haller). Grows on sunny edges and under the light crown of trees in Western Europe and the European part of Russia. Perennial plants develop from a tuber with a diameter of not more than 15 mm. The height of the stem is 10-25 cm. At the base there are 2 petiolar, cirrus-dissected leaves with ternary lobes. In mid-April, a dense cylindrical inflorescence blossoms. Under obovate bracts linear petals are hidden. The pink-violet nimbus does not exceed 2 cm in length.
Corydalis is hollow. Tuberous plants are found in the countries of Asia Minor and Europe, along the edges of broad-leaved and deciduous-coniferous forests. Perennial has a larger, rounded tuber. A stem up to 40 cm long grows from it. At the base there are 2 cirrus leaves with serrated plates. They have a triangular shape. A long bare peduncle ends with a cylindrical brush. Large dark purple flowers in length reach 25 mm. They consist of ovoid bracts and miniature serrated petals. Flowering begins in the last decade of April.
Corydalis Marshall. Plants from Southeast Europe bloom creamy yellow delicate flowers. The height of the shoots is 15-30 cm. They are covered with a reddish-green bark. At the base is a bluish-green ternate foliage. Flowers bloom by the end of April. Their length is about 25 mm. Corollas have a thickened spur on the upper lobe.
Corydalis is doubtful. It is found in the bright forests of the Kuril Islands, Sakhalin and Kamchatka. Stems 10-15 cm tall have a grayish coating. At the base are bluish-green triple leaves. In the last days of April, a friable brush of a pale blue color opens.
Corydalis noble. The height of the rhizome perennial plant can reach 80 cm. At the base of the stem are pinnately dissected bright green leaves. The lobes have a blunt serrated edge. In early May, dense racemes bloom. The petals are painted yellow, and on their inside there is a purple-black border.
Corydalis yellow. Distributed in the western part of Europe. A perennial plant with a creeping rhizome without tubers has erect stems 10-40 cm tall. Dissected bluish-green leaves are collected at the base. A flower brush of 6-20 bright yellow buds blooms immediately after the snow melts and has a very long flowering period.
Breeding methods
Corydalis is propagated by seed and vegetative methods. Growing from seeds begins immediately after their collection, as the seed material quickly loses its germination capacity. It is important not to dry the collected seeds. They can be stored in wet moss or sown immediately. Crops are produced in containers with moist sand and peat soil. Often in the first year only cotyledons (young leaves) are formed. After this, the plants go to rest. Containers are kept in a cool place with good lighting. Corydalis reproduce well by self-sowing. However, if there are ants nearby, the latter can pull the seeds away from the desired planting location. Flowering seedlings are expected in 3-4 years.
Some plant species form lateral nodules. In the middle of summer they are planted separately. You can also divide large tubers with several growth points into parts. They are cut, dipped in a crushed activated carbon slice and planted to a depth of 6-7 cm. During transportation, it is important not to dry the tubers, so after digging them up they are placed in a dense plastic bag.
Landing and care
At the end of the flowering and vegetation period, all terrestrial tufts of the Corydalis die off. To find plants at this time is not so simple, because the tubers are located at great depths. To cope with this problem, plant transplantation can be carried out during the period of growth and flowering. It is necessary to completely save the earthen room. The plant is afraid of overdrying the earth and roots, and also has brittle roots. Any damage leads to illness and death of the Corydalis.
Tubers are planted in the soil in June-September, after the dormant period. Planting depth depends on the size of the tubers. Smaller ones are buried by 5-7 cm, and large ones by 10-15 cm. Corydalis prefers fertile, loose soils with a neutral or slightly acidic reaction. Dense soils that are too heavy during digging are mixed with gravel and fine gravel. It can be planted in a sunny meadow or under deciduous trees. During the period of its activity, the crown is only formed, so the flower will receive a sufficient amount of light. It is recommended to immediately think over a stack for water, as the roots easily rot.
In care, the Corydalis is unpretentious. Usually in the spring, during the period of active growth, snow melts and a sufficient amount of precipitation falls, so you do not have to water the flowers. By June, the fruits ripen, and the overgrowth begins to dry. When the leaves and stems are completely dry, they are cut off. Doing this before is not recommended, otherwise the tubers will not have time to accumulate a sufficient amount of nutrients.
The roots are deep, so they do not suffer from trampling, summer heat and drought. In winter, forest corydalis easily tolerate even severe frosts, so they do not need shelter. It is recommended not to remove leaves that have fallen from nearby trees. Overbreeding, they will serve as fertilizer.
Plant forcing
Only a few types of tuberous tufts are suitable for distillation and cultivation in a pot. Usually for these purposes a dense crested chickpea is used. Tubers of medium size are planted in pots with loose garden soil. The top of the bulb should be at a depth of 5 mm. Immediately after planting, the container is placed in a dark place with an air temperature of -5 ... + 8 ° C. Here the plants spend at least 9 weeks.
Later, the pot is transferred to a room with intense lighting and air temperature + 8 ... + 12 ° C. Water the flower with caution. During flowering, the temperature rises to + 15 ... + 18 ° C. When all the flowers and leaves fade, the pot is again placed in a dark, cool place. If this is not in the house, you can use the refrigerator. It is important to ensure that the soil does not completely dry out.
The use of Corydalis
Corydalis is used for landscaping parks and gardens. It can grow in the most adverse conditions: on inconvenient slopes, among snags and bushes. It is planted on alpine hills, near curbs, under garden trees and among stones. Planting should be alternated with later plants that mask bare soil with the onset of dormancy. The best neighbors for Corydalis are hosts, crocuses, snowdrops, hyacinths, tulips.
Corydalis is also an excellent honey plant. It exudes a pleasant honey aroma that attracts the first insects. Young leaves are rich in ascorbic acid. They can be used in cooking for salads, soups and borscht.
Medical appointment
All types of Corydalis contain a large amount of alkaloids, but hollow Corydalis is most often used in medicine. In the spring they harvest grass, and in summer tubers. They are dried in the shade and stored in fabric or paper bags for a year.
In traditional medicine, corydalis is used due to the alkaloid bulbocapnin. It helps to reduce muscle tone, fights against catalepsy, slows intestinal motility. Decoctions and extracts from Corydalis are used as anesthetizing, anesthetic and antitumor agents. Also, the plant has hemostatic, anti-inflammatory and hypnotic properties.
