Three new species of Corydalis (Fumariaceae) from northwestern Sichuan China

The jiuding Ridge (Sichuan, China) has been explored during the past several years by a team from chengdu Institute of Biology. Chinese Academy of Sciences, and three undescribed species of Corydalis DC. (Fumariaceae) have been revealed and are apparently endemic to this mountain. The new species were observed in forest (C. capitata X.F. Cao, Liden & Y.W. Wang), and alpine rocky limestone areas (C. schistostigma X.F. Cao, Liden, Y.W. Wang & Y.L. Peng). The two first species have their closest relatives in the Wolong-Balangshan District in the Wolong-Balangshan District (Wenchuan. Sichuan). Corydalis aeaeae differs from C. panada Liden & Y.W. Wang in its small size, few-flowered racemes, and broadly obtuse outer petals with low, short erests. Corydalis capitata differs from the C. flexuosa Franchet complex in the capitate racemes, small flowers with deeply serrate petals, and the peculiar, thin, strictly ecect lateral branches. corydalis schistostinma is unique in the C. curviflora Maximowicz ex Hemsley group, in the deeply cleft stigma and very forward-projecting crests to the inner petals, and possibly has iits affinities more to the north and northwest in the Hengduan Mountains.