Flower:

Racemes of up to 20 pale to bright golden yellow flowers that are initially erect, becoming horizontal to drooping with age. Flowers are tubular, ½ to 2/3 inch long with 2 pairs of petals and a spur at the back about half as long as the rest of the flower. The outer upper petal is folded along a front midline and forms the spur. Both outer and inner petals broaden out to form ruffled lips at the opening; the upper curls up into a crest and the lower rolling out and down like a ruffled tongue. Outer petals have a spot of green in the center of the tip end that may turn yellow with age. Bracts are linear to elliptic, about 3/8 inch long. The uppermost leaves on a flowering branch typically rise above the raceme. Secondary clusters on lower branches have fewer flowers than upper branches.

Leaves and stems:

Leaves are to 3 inches long, deeply divided into 3 parts with lobes further divided into narrow, pointed segments, giving them a feathery appearance. Multiple stems from the base grow prostrate with the branches ascending. Leaves and stems are hairless, covered by a waxy bloom.

Fruit:

Fruit is a pod about ¾ inch long, slender to stout, initially straight typically curling up as the shiny black seeds ripen.

Notes:

The pods resemble those of members of the pea family, but this species is a relative of Dutchman's Breeches. Golden Corydalis is similar to another native yellow corydalis, Slender Fumewort (Corydalis micrantha), a more southern species, but their ranges do overlap. The C. micrantha primary flower clusters typically exceed the height of the uppermost leaves, the upper crest of the flower is smaller and less ruffled and its seed pods are straight. There are 2 varieties of C. aurea, var. aurea is found in Minnesota with var. occidentalis found farther south and west.