Corydalis ambigua
| Corydalis ambigua | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 6 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 0.5' |
| Width: | 0.3' |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Corydalis ambigua
Propagation: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe, the seed rapidly loses viability if it is allowed to become dry[1]. Surface sow and keep moist, it usually germinates in 1 - 3 months at 15°c[2]. Germinates in spring according to another report[1]. Two months warm, then a cold stratification improves the germination of stored seed[3][2]. Sow the seed thinly so that the seedlings can be allowed to grow undisturbed in the pot for their first year. Apply liquid feed at intervals during their growing season to ensure they are well fed. The seedlings only produce one leaf in their first year of growth[4] and are very prone to damping off[1]. Divide the seedlings into individual pots once they have become dormant and grow them on in a partially shaded area of a greenhouse for at least another year. Plant them out into their permanent positions when they are dormant.
Division in spring after flowering. Once the plants are dying down, dig up the clump and divide the tubers, planting them out straight into their permanent positions if required.
Cultivation: Prefers a moist, well-drained rather light soil, thriving in semi-shade[5]. Grows well in a woodland garden or peat bed[1].
This species is very closely related to and probably part of C. fumariifolia[4]. It is probably not really worthy of specific status and is best treated as a cultivar, C. 'Ambigua'[6].
Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits[7].
Range: E. Asia - Japan.
Habitat: Woods and meadows from the lowland to the mountains of N. Japan[8].
Edibility: Root - cooked[9][10][11][12].
Medicinal: Alterative, antiperiodic, astringent, deobstruent, diuretic, emmenagogue, sedative, tonic[13].
The root is analgesic, antispasmodic and sedative[14]. The tuber has a history of over a thousand years use in mitigating pain[14].
This species was ranked 10th in a test of 250 potential antifertility drugs[14].
Pollinators: Bees
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
In Leaf: Early Spring-Early Summer
Seed Ripens: Late Spring-Early Summer
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: Although no specific mention has been seen for this species, there is a report that Corydalis species are potentially toxic in moderate doses[15].
Also Known As: C. 'Ambigua'.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Alpine Garden Society. Alpine Garden Society Bulletin Volume 56. Alpine Garden Society.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Bird, Alfred. Growing from Seed Volume 4. Thompson and Morgan, 1990.
- ↑ Rice, Graham. Growing from Seed Volume 2. Thompson and Morgan, 1988.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Bird, Alfred. Focus on Plants Volume 5. Thompson and Morgan, 1991.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Thomas, Graham. Perennial Garden Plants. J. M. Dent & Sons, 1990.
- ↑ Ohwi, Jisaburo. Flora of Japan. Smithsonian Institution, 1965.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ Stuart, George. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei Southern Materials Centre.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Duke, James and Edward Ayensu. Medicinal Plants of China. Reference Publications, 1985.
- ↑ Foster, Steven and Billy Tatum. Medicinal Plants of Eastern and Central North America. Houghton Mifflin, 1990.