Corydalis

(Corydalis DC.)

Of the 21 Corydalis species native to the US, C. aurea, C. flavula, and C. sempervirens are the most widespread. Due to its wonderful analgesis action, the non-native C. yanhusuo is widely used in herbal medicine.

Other Names:
Scrambled eggs, golden smoke, golden corydalis, yellow fumewort, yellow harlequin, fume-root, yellow fumitory, harlequin corydalis, pale corydalis, pink corydalis, rock harlequin

Range:


Family:
Papaveraceae - Poppy family
(Sub-Family: Fumariaceae - Fumitory Family)

Growth Type:
Herbaceous plant that is typically perennial,but some species are annuals.

Height:
The plant is often reclining, or trailing but some species are errect. The stems of most species can grow up to 3 feet long/tall

Leaves:
The pinnate leaves are often pale blue-green to blue-grey in color, and divided into leaflets with ovate to diamond shaped lobes.

Stem/Trunk:
Reaching approximately 15" long, the stems grow along the ground or another surface, with the extremity reaching upward. Like the leaves, the stems are often pale blue-green to blue-grey in color.

Root:
Branching caudex (a rootstock from which new growth sprouts)

Flower Season:
May to September

Flower Appearance:
While vrying in color from yellow to purple, the tubular flowers are bilaterally symmetrical. They are approximately 1 cm long, have 4 petals, and 6 stamen. They have a pouch-like spur at the bottom of the four petalsThe flowers are borne in racemes of up to 30 flowers, each on a short stem.

Seed/Fruit:
Long thin cylindrical seed pods containing shiny blacks seeds.

Miscellaneous characteristics:
N/A

Habitat:
Poor soils of Sagebrush steppes and rocky outcrops

Parts Used:
Root/Rhizome

Culinary Uses:
None Known

Energetics
Taste: Pungent/Bitter
Thermal: Warming
Humidity: Moistening

Traditional Medicinal Uses:
Corydalis has been used to treat Constipation, Cramps, Depression, Dyspepsia, Fibromyalgia, Hypertension, Neuropathy, Myalgia, Neuralgia, and Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS).

Indications Citations

The fact that studies concerning all indications listed above have not yet been completed, does not mean said uses are invalid. The plants I have included have a long history of effective use, and most were part of the U.S. Pharmacopeia prior to the advent of allopathic medicine.

Usage Indictions:

Osteoarthritis, Pain, Psoriatic Arthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis

Clinical Trials:

Pain: Yuan CS, Mehendale SR, Wang CZ, Aung HH, Jiang T, Guan X, Shoyama Y. Effects of Corydalis yanhusuo and Angelicae dahuricae on cold pressor-induced pain in humans: a controlled trial. J Clin Pharmacol. 2004 Nov;44(11):1323-7. doi: 10.1177/0091270004267809. PMID: 15496650.

Rheumatoid Arthritis (Common): Zuo C, Chen YT, Wang ZM. [Clinical efficacy of Corydalis composite combined with methotrexate in treating rheumatoid arthritis]. Zhongguo Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi. 2009 Nov;29(11):1023-5. Chinese. PMID: 20329616.

Osteoarthritis: Zuo C, Yin G, Cen XM, Xie QB. [Controlled clinical study on compound Decumbent Corydalis Rhizome and diclofenac in treatment of knee osteoarthritis]. Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. 2015 Jan;40(1):149-53. Chinese. PMID: 25993805.

Medicinal Actions:
Analgesic, Anodyne, Antispasmodic, Spasmolytic

This plant has been shown, by scientific studies, to exhibit the following medicinal actions. The fact that studies concerning all of the traditional medicinal actions listed above have not yet been completed, does not mean said actions are invalid. The plants I have included have a long history of effective use, and most were part of the U.S. Pharmacopoeia prior to the rise of allopathic medicine.

Clinical Trials:

Analgesic (Pain relief): Yuan CS, Mehendale SR, Wang CZ, Aung HH, Jiang T, Guan X, Shoyama Y. Effects of Corydalis yanhusuo and Angelicae dahuricae on cold pressor-induced pain in humans: a controlled trial. J Clin Pharmacol. 2004 Nov;44(11):1323-7. doi: 10.1177/0091270004267809. PMID: 15496650.

Antiarthritic (Treats rheumatoid arthritis): Zuo C, Chen YT, Wang ZM. [Clinical efficacy of Corydalis composite combined with methotrexate in treating rheumatoid arthritis]. Zhongguo Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi. 2009 Nov;29(11):1023-5. Chinese. PMID: 20329616.

Antiarthritic (Knee Osteoarthritis): Zuo C, Yin G, Cen XM, Xie QB. [Controlled clinical study on compound Decumbent Corydalis Rhizome and diclofenac in treatment of knee osteoarthritis]. Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. 2015 Jan;40(1):149-53. Chinese. PMID: 25993805.