FUMARIACEAE – FUMITORY FAMILY

Plant: mostly herbs, a few vines Stem: Root: Leaves: simple to compound, leaf blade often very dissected into segments, mostly alternate but rarely opposite; no stipules Flowers: perfect, irregular (zygomorphic), usually in racemes; 2 mostly small sepals, dropping early; 4 petals in two series, usually at least partly joined, 1 or sometimes 2 of outer series forming a spur; 6 stamens with filaments winged; ovary superior, 2 carpels, 2 to many ovules Fruit: usually a capsule or sometimes a nutlet, 1 to many seeds Other: sometimes included in the Papaveraceae (Poppy Family); Dicotyledons Group Genera: 19+ genera; locally Adlumia, Dicentra (bleeding-heart), Corydalis (corydalis), Fumaria (fumitory)

WARNING – family descriptions are only a layman’s guide and should not be used as definitive Flower Morphology in the Fumariaceae 2 small Sepals, 4 Petals – often 2 outer larger (Fumitory Family) petals with 1 having a spur or pouch and 2 inner smaller petals often fused, flower bilaterally symmetrical longitudinally

Examples of some common genera

Squirrel Corn Dicentra canadensis (Goldie) Walp.

Mealy Fumewort [Corydalis] Corydalis crystallina Engelm.

Dutchman’s Breeches Dicentra cucullaria (L.) Bernh.

Smallflower Fumewort Corydalis micrantha (Engelm. ex A. Gray) A. Bleeding Heart Gray ssp. australis (Chapm.) G.B. Ownbey Lamprocapnos spectabilis (L.) (Introduced) FUMARIACEAE – FUMITORY FAMILY

Scrambled Eggs [Golden Corydalis]; Corydalis aurea Willd. Mealy Fumewort [Corydalis]; Corydalis crystallina Engelm. Curvepod Fumewort; Corydalis curvisiliqua Engelm. Short-Spurred [Yellow] Corydalis; Corydalis flavula (Raf.) DC. Smallflower Fumewort; Corydalis micrantha (Engelm. ex A. Gray) A. Gray ssp. australis (Chapm.) G.B. Ownbey Squirrel Corn; Dicentra canadensis (Goldie) Walp. Dutchman’s Breeches; Dicentra cucullaria (L.) Bernh. Drug Fumitory; EarthSmoke; Fumaria officinalis L. (Introduced) Bleeding Heart; Lamprocapnos spectabilis (L.) (Introduced) Scrambled Eggs [Golden Corydalis] USDA Corydalis aurea Willd. Fumariaceae (Fumitory Family) Near Fraser, Grand County, Colorado Notes: 4-petaled flower, yellow, upper petal winged, rounded spur present, bract ovate to lanceolate with sharp tip; leaves branching from stem, 2-4 times pinnate; seed pod 2-3 cm, usually hanging, constricted between seeds; plant often low and spreading, sometimes ascending; spring to summer [V Max Brown, 2012] Mealy Fumewort [Corydalis] USDA Corydalis crystallina Engelm. Fumariaceae (Fumitory Family) Cherokee Prairie Natural Area, Franklin County, Arkansas Notes: 4-petaled flower, yellow, upper petal winged with teeth, flower 2-3 cm in length, spur greater than ¼ length of flower; leaves branching from stem, compound (2 orders); fruit erect, ovary covered with white inflated hairs (vesicles); spring [V Max Brown, 2012] Curvepod USDA Fumewort Corydalis curvisiliqua Engelm. Fumariaceae (Fumitory Family) Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, Comanche County, Oklahoma Notes: 4-petaled flower, yellow, upper petal winged, rounded spur present, crest prominent, bract ovate with sharp tip; leaves branching from stem, compound (2 orders); spring to early summer (varieties present) [V Max Brown, 2011] Short-Spurred [Yellow] Corydalis USDA [Yellow Fumewort] Corydalis flavula (Raf.) DC. Fumariaceae (Fumitory Family) Sam A. Baker State Park, Wayne County, Missouri Notes: 4-petaled flower, yellow, upper petal winged with teeth, with spur less than ¼ length of flower; leaves branching from stem, compound (2 orders); spring [V Max Brown, 2006] Smallflower Fumewort USDA Corydalis micrantha (Engelm. ex A. Gray) A. Gray ssp. australis (Chapm.) G.B. Ownbey Fumariaceae (Fumitory Family) Wah-Kon-Tah Prairie, St. Clair County, Missouri Notes: 4-petaled flower, yellow, upper petal winged without major teeth, flower up to 2 cm in length, spur equal to greater than ½ length of flower, spur rounded and tends to turn up; leaves branching from stem, compound (2 orders); fruit erect, little restriction between seeds; spring [V Max Brown, 2013] Squirrel Corn USDA Dicentra canadensis (Goldie) Walp. Fumariaceae (Fumitory Family) Goll Woods State Nature Preserve, Fulton County, Ohio Notes: 4-petaled flower, white (sometimes pinkish), pendant on raceme, 2 outer and 2 inner petals, outer petals spurred at base, spurs rounded; leaves compound, sharp pointed leaflets; spring [V Max Brown, 2008] Dutchman’s Breeches USDA Dicentra cucullaria (L.) Bernh. Fumariaceae (Fumitory Family) Sam A. Baker State Park, Wayne County, Missouri Notes: 4-petaled flower, white (sometimes pinkish), of 2 outer and 2 inner petals, outer petals spurred at the base, lobes divergent and pointed; leaves compound, sharp pointed leaflets; spring [V Max Brown, 2006] Drug Fumitory; USDA EarthSmoke Fumaria officinalis L. (Introduced) Fumariaceae (Fumitory Family) Miramar Beach, Walton County, Florida Notes: 4-petaled flower, white to pinkish-white with purple tip, 2 white sepals with teeth, four white petals, bilaterally symmetrical in one longitudinal plane, one petal with spur, body keeled, in 2-6+ cm inflorescence of 10 to 40+ flowers; leaves, alternate, compound and lobed, plant somewhat to strongly ascending, with a taproot; invasive from Europe and Africa (cultivated). [V Max Brown, 2018] Bleeding Heart USDA Lamprocapnos spectabilis (L.) (Introduced) Fumariaceae (Fumitory Family) Nashville, Brown County, Indiana Notes: 4-petaled flower, red (sometimes pinkish), of 2 outer and 2 inner petals, outer petals spurred at the base; leaves compound, sharp pointed leaflets; spring (common ornamental) [V Max Brown, 2006]