A small perennial, (3-) 5-15 (-20) cm tall with inflorescence hardly exceeding the leaves level, glabrous, glaucous; rootstock a short, conical scaly tuber, dividing below, with 2-3 short, lanceolate scales between the tuber and the last basal leaf; underground part of the stem branched. Radical leaves 1-2 only, similar but smaller than the cauline leaves. Cauline leaves 2-4, scattered and alternate, ternate with sessile, deeply 3-sect pinnae; lobules or ultimate segments oblong, mucronulate, entire or 2-3 dentate; pinnae c. 20 mm in diam.; lobules 7-12 mm long, 2-3 mm broad; petiole 5-8 cm long, sheathing at base. Racemes 5-8-flowered, congested, bracteate, borne at the same level as leaves; bracts c. 10 mm long, 3-6 (-8) mm broad, obovate or ovate, acute, entire, equalling the pedicels. Flowers 15-18 mm long, bluish rarely violaceous, very rarely whitish. Sepals 1 (-2) mm long, square or oblong with shortly toothed margin, Upper petal shorter than the much upturned, obtuse, slightly incurved spur, shortly acuminate. Capsule 10-15 mm long, c. 5 mm broad, elliptic or narrowly obovate; style 3-4 mm long with dilated curved stigma; seeds c. 1.5 mm in diam.

Fl.Per. June—August.

Type: W. Caucasus, C.A. Meyer (LE).

Distribution: Caucasus, Turkey, C. Asia and Kashmir extending to Alaska.

Similar to Corydalis cashmeriana Royle but rootstock a short slender tuber branched below, 2-3 scales present below the lower most leaf and above the tuber, 2-4 scattered cauline leaves.

Corydalis pseudalpestris Popov (in Kom, Fl. U.R.S.S. 7:750. 1937) with racemes only 1-2-flowered, flowers whitish or violet with pedicels only 2-3 mm long (about half as long as the bracts) may not be specifically different from this species, which appears to be very variable.