Quick Characteristics:
| Height: | 10-20 cm (3.9-7.9 inch) |
| Flower Colors: | white, purple, pink |
| Flower Season: | early spring to mid spring |
| Life form: | deciduous tuber |
Corydalis cava (L.) Schweigg. & Körte (syn. Corydalis bulbosa Pers.) is a woodland plant native to Europe and western Asia. Its common name is 'hollow root' which agrees with the Latin meaning of 'cava', concave or hollow. Another common name, 'stagger weed' (referring to grazing animals), hints at its pharmacological uses; it contains a number of alkaloids: bulbocapnine, corydaline, corycavine and corydine. Other characteristics are: no prophyll, bracts untoothed, flowers scented. It has an unusually shaped perennial tuber which increases in size every year. Photographs 1+2 by Janos Agoston, pictures 3-5 by Martin Bohnet, showing the species in a deciduous forest habitat, where it often occurs in masses.
Photographs by Janos Agoston and Martin Bohnet of various forms.
Corydalis cava subsp. marschalliana (Willd.) Hayek (syn. C. marschalliana) is a form with cream or pale yellow flowers. It is native to the Balkans, Crimea, Caucasus and northwest Iran. Photographs by John Lonsdale, in the second C. solida appears on the right, note the difference in the leaves.
