Fumariaceae

Abstract

Perennial or annual herbs, usually glabrous, sometimes with one-celled hairs, rarely (the Corydalis chaerophylla-group) with crispate hairs; cotyledons flat and lanceolate, or filiform, usually 2, but 1 in tuberous Corydalis and a few Dicentra spp. Leaves spirally arranged, rarely opposite (some Corydalis spp.), or in a basal rosette (Hypecoum), pinnately to ternately divided; stipules absent, but petiole sometimes vaginate at base, or (in some Corydalis spp.) with membranous appendages. Inflorescences terminal on flowering stems (exception: Adlumia), bracteate, cymose or racemose, rarely flowers solitary (Dicentra uniflora). Flowers zygomorphic or disymmetric. Sepals 2, petaloid or (Hypecoum) herbaceous, not covering the petals in bud, caducous. Petals 4, outer and inner whorl very dissimilar, with wings, joints and/or spurs. One or both of the outer petals (Hypecoum excepted) with a sac-like extension to a long spur at base, apically with two lateral wings, and in Corydalis frequently with a median crest; inner petals equal, coherent at apex, basally more or less fused (Hypecoum excepted) with the upper stamen bundle and the upper petal (in Adlumia all petals and stamens are fused for most of their length), with a flexible joint about the middle, apical part with two lateral wings and a usually prominent median wing.