CORYDALIS UNIFLORA

Family and Genus:- See- FUMARIACEAE

Common Names:- None

Homotypic Synonyms:- None

Meaning:- Corydalis (Gr) Lark, reference to the spur.

Uniflora (L) ) One-flowered.

General description:- A perennial with a large irregular tuber.

Stems:-

1) Several, slender, flexuous, ascending, with only 2-5 cm appearing above the

ground.

Leaves:-

1) Basal scale leaf lacking.

2) Cauline, opposite, ternate to biternate, glaucous, with ovate segments.

Flowers:-

1) Racemes, 1-4-flowered.

2) Bracts, entire, rhombic-ovate.

3) Flowers, usually pale pinkish or mauve; spur strongly recurved.

Fruit:-

1) Capsule, short and broad, 3-6-seeded.

2) Seeds, with large, spreading elaiosome.

Key features:-

1) Stem, without a scale leaf at ground level.

2) Leaves, opposite.

3) Racemes 1-4-?owered

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Damp limestone screes and dolines, often by melting snow with

Colchicum cretense, Crocus sieberi, scilla nana etc. (1000-)1500 -2300 m.

Distribution:- A Cretan endemic of the Lefka Ori, Psiloritis and Dikti massifs.

where it can be locally common.

Flowering time:- Apr to early June.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton

Status:-

Conservation status (for threatened species):Rare (R) according to IUCN 1997.

Protection status (for threatened species):Greek Presidential Decree 67/1981.