Roadless Areas
Home/Species/ Pale Corydalis

Capnoides sempervirens

(L.) Borkh.

Pale Corydalis

G5Secure Found in 51 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Pale Corydalis (Capnoides sempervirens). Photo by gwazala, CC BY-NC 4.0, via iNaturalist.
gwazala, CC BY-NC 4.0
Pale Corydalis (Capnoides sempervirens). Photo by Finn McGhee, CC BY-NC 4.0, via iNaturalist.
Finn McGhee, CC BY-NC 4.0
Pale Corydalis (Capnoides sempervirens). Photo by Finn McGhee, CC BY-NC 4.0, via iNaturalist.
Finn McGhee, CC BY-NC 4.0
Pale Corydalis (Capnoides sempervirens). Photo by alehner, CC BY-NC 4.0, via iNaturalist.
alehner, CC BY-NC 4.0
Pale Corydalis (Capnoides sempervirens). Photo by Josh Emm, CC BY-NC 4.0, via iNaturalist.
Josh Emm, CC BY-NC 4.0
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.138234
Element CodePDFUM030B0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderPapaverales
FamilyPapaveraceae
GenusCapnoides
Synonyms
Corydalis sempervirens(L.) Pers.
Other Common Names
Corydale toujours verte (FR) Pink and Yellow Corydalis (EN) Pink Corydalis (EN) Rock Harlequin (EN) rock harlequin (EN)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2016-05-16
Change Date2012-03-07
Range Extent Comments
AK, B.C., and nw. MT, east to Newf. and GA. Peripheral.
Threat Impact Comments
Somewhat vulnerable due to its limited distribution and restricted, infrequent habitat (Southern Appalachian Species Viability Project 2002).
Ecology & Habitat

Description

Pale Corydalis is an annual or biennial with 1 to several branched stems reaching up to 6 dm high. The leaves have long petioles and are pinnately divided into 3-5 pairs of leaflets that are subsequently divided 1-2 times into narrowly elliptic segments that are 2-5 mm wide. The foliage is glabrous and covered with a thin, whitish wax that rubs off. 3-10 flowers are borne on short, spreading to drooping stalks at the top of the branches. The pinkish, yellow-tipped corolla is 10-15 mm long and composed of 4 petals: 2 outer and 2 inner. The outer petals appear to form a tube with the stalk attached near the middle, while the inner tubes are smaller and joined at the tips. The 2 pinkish, membranous sepals are ca. 3 mm long and usually fall off early in flower. There are 6 stamens that are united into 2 groups. The linear capsules are 30-45 mm long and are held erect at maturity.

Diagnostic Characteristics

Our only pink-flowered Corydalis is unmistakable. The introduced FUMARIA OFFICINALIS also has pink flowers, but the fruits are globose.
Other Nations (2)
United StatesNNR
ProvinceRankNative
MichiganSNRYes
AlaskaSNRYes
ConnecticutSNRYes
VirginiaS4Yes
OhioS1Yes
MontanaS2Yes
IllinoisSHYes
TennesseeS1Yes
MinnesotaSNRYes
PennsylvaniaS4Yes
KentuckyS3Yes
MassachusettsSNRYes
New JerseyS4Yes
GeorgiaS2Yes
MarylandS3Yes
MaineSNRYes
WisconsinSNRYes
New HampshireSNRYes
North CarolinaS3Yes
IowaS1Yes
New YorkS4Yes
Rhode IslandS2Yes
VermontS4Yes
South CarolinaS1Yes
West VirginiaS4Yes
IndianaS1Yes
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
Northwest TerritoriesS4Yes
OntarioS5Yes
Island of NewfoundlandS2Yes
NunavutSHYes
British ColumbiaS5Yes
AlbertaS5Yes
Prince Edward IslandS2Yes
LabradorS2Yes
SaskatchewanS4Yes
Nova ScotiaS4Yes
New BrunswickS4Yes
Yukon TerritoryS4Yes
QuebecS5Yes
ManitobaS5Yes
Plant Characteristics
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (51)
Alaska (3)
AreaForestAcres
Kenai LakeChugach National Forest213,172
ResurrectionChugach National Forest224,615
Roaded DonutChugach National Forest968
Maine (1)
AreaForestAcres
Caribou - Speckled ExtWhite Mountain National Forest5,988
Michigan (1)
AreaForestAcres
Norwich Plains Revised Roadless AreaOttawa National Forest4,360
Minnesota (6)
AreaForestAcres
Baker - Homer - Brule LakesSuperior National Forest6,712
Baldpate LakeSuperior National Forest486
Brule Lake - Eagle MountainSuperior National Forest12,380
Hegman LakesSuperior National Forest675
Kawishiwi Lake To SawbillSuperior National Forest15,305
Wood LakeSuperior National Forest596
New Hampshire (5)
AreaForestAcres
Pemigewasset ExtWhite Mountain National Forest15,840
Presidential - Dry River ExtWhite Mountain National Forest10,555
Sandwich RangeWhite Mountain National Forest16,797
WatervilleWhite Mountain National Forest4,312
Wild RiverWhite Mountain National Forest46,878
North Carolina (8)
AreaForestAcres
Bald MountainPisgah National Forest11,085
Balsam ConePisgah National Forest10,591
Craggy MountainPisgah National Forest2,657
Harper CreekPisgah National Forest7,325
Linville Gorge AdditionPisgah National Forest2,809
Lost CovePisgah National Forest5,944
Overflow CreekNantahala National Forest3,379
Wilson CreekPisgah National Forest4,863
Pennsylvania (3)
AreaForestAcres
Allegheny FrontAllegheny National Forest7,430
Minister ValleyAllegheny National Forest1,417
Tracy RidgeAllegheny National Forest9,034
Tennessee (4)
AreaForestAcres
Bald MountainCherokee National Forest11,743
Big Laurel Branch AdditionCherokee National Forest5,577
Flint Mill GapCherokee National Forest9,494
Sampson Mountain AdditionCherokee National Forest3,064
Vermont (1)
AreaForestAcres
Wilder Mountain 09082Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests8,759
Virginia (16)
AreaForestAcres
Adams PeakGeorge Washington National Forest7,135
Bear CreekJefferson National Forest18,274
Brush MountainJefferson National Forest6,002
Brush Mountain EastJefferson National Forest4,916
Garden MountainJefferson National Forest3,960
Hunting Camp Little Wolf CreekJefferson National Forest8,953
Little Wilson Creek Addition BJefferson National Forest1,725
Long SpurJefferson National Forest6,417
Mountain Lake Addition AJefferson National Forest1,469
Mountain Lake Addition B (VA)Jefferson National Forest3,405
North Fork PoundJefferson National Forest4,757
North MountainJefferson National Forest8,377
Saint Marys AdditionGeorge Washington National Forest1,454
Southern MassanuttenGeorge Washington National Forest11,985
The PriestGeorge Washington National Forest5,737
Three RidgesGeorge Washington National Forest4,745
West Virginia (2)
AreaForestAcres
Mountain Lake Addition B (WV)Jefferson National Forest557
North Mountain HopevilleMonongahela National Forest6,525
Wisconsin (1)
AreaForestAcres
09011 - Flynn Lake Study AreaChequamegon-Nicolet National Forest5,951
References (5)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 1997. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 3. Magnoliophyta: Magnoliidae and Hamamelidae. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxiii + 590 pp.
  2. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  3. Naczi, R.F.C. 2017. Papaveraceae, the Poppy Family. R.F.C. Naczi, J. R. Abbott, and Collaborators, New Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada, online edition of 2017. New York Botanical Garden Press, New York.
  4. Southern Appalachian Species Viability Project. 2002. A partnership between the U.S. Forest Service-Region 8, Natural Heritage Programs in the Southeast, NatureServe, and independent scientists to develop and review data on 1300+ regionally and locally rare species in the Southern Appalachian and Alabama region. Database (Access 97) provided to the U.S. Forest Service by NatureServe, Durham, North Carolina.
  5. Weakley, A.S., and Southeastern Flora Team. 2024. Flora of the southeastern United States. Edition of March 4, 2024. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 2203 pp.