Lamprocapnos is a monotypic genus — containing a single species, Lamprocapnos spectabilis — in the fumitory subfamily (Fumarioideae) of the poppy family (Papaveraceae), placed in the order Ranunculales. Because the genus holds only one species, Lamprocapnos and L. spectabilis are essentially synonymous in practice; the plant is still widely sold under the older name Dicentra spectabilis, now treated as a synonym, and should not be confused with the unrelated North American bleeding hearts of the genus Dicentra.
Lamprocapnos spectabilis, commonly called the Asian bleeding heart, is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial native to Northeast China (the provinces of Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang) and the Korean peninsula. Plants grow to around 120 cm (47 in) tall and 45 cm (18 in) wide, with three-lobed compound leaves on fleshy green to pink stems. In spring and early summer they produce arching, horizontal racemes of up to 20 pendent flowers whose outer petals are bright fuchsia-pink and whose white inner petals protrude beneath — creating the instantly recognisable heart-with-droplet silhouette that gives the plant its common name. In some conditions the plant behaves as a spring ephemeral, dying back to the ground by midsummer.
The plant was first introduced to Western horticulture from England in 1810, then lost, before being famously reintroduced in 1846 by the Scottish plant hunter Robert Fortune, who encountered it growing in cultivated rock gardens on the Island of Chusan and sent specimens to the Royal Horticultural Society. It has been grown in Chinese ornamental gardens for centuries and holds a place in traditional poetry and medicine. The root is used in Traditional Chinese medicine as an analgesic and circulatory tonic, though the plant contains isoquinoline alkaloids — including protopine — and all parts should be treated with caution, as contact can cause skin irritation and ingestion in quantity may produce serious toxic effects.
Etymology
The genus name Lamprocapnos combines the Greek "lampro-" (bright, shining, sparkling) with "-capnos" (smoke), while the species epithet spectabilis is Latin for spectacular or showy. The full name can be read as "spectacular sparkling smoke."
Distribution
Lamprocapnos spectabilis is native to Northeast Asia, primarily Northeast China (Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces) and the Korean peninsula. It has been introduced to parts of Siberia, Russia and Japan, and its long history of ornamental cultivation in the region makes it difficult to determine precisely where it is truly native versus naturalised.
Ecology
In Korea, L. spectabilis grows as a shade-loving chasmophyte in rock crevices at low mountain altitudes. The plant sometimes behaves as a spring ephemeral in cultivation, becoming fully dormant in summer as temperatures rise.
Cultivation
Asian bleeding heart grows best in cool, moist conditions where it tolerates full sun; in warmer or drier climates it requires partial shade. Clumps remain compact for many years without division. The roots are brittle and easily damaged — root cuttings should be taken in spring. Seeds are produced in elongated pods with whitish elaiosomes and must be sown fresh. Division can be carried out in late autumn or early spring. Common pests include aphids, slugs and snails.
History
Lamprocapnos spectabilis was first introduced from Asia to England in 1810 but was subsequently lost to cultivation. In 1846 the Scottish botanist and plant hunter Robert Fortune reintroduced it after discovering it growing in "the Grotto Garden on the Island of Chusan" and sending specimens to the Royal Horticultural Society. The plant had long been prized in northern China, where Fortune noted that "Chinese Mandarins… cultivate [it] with so much pride in their little fairy gardens."
Cultural Uses
In Traditional Chinese medicine, the root of L. spectabilis is used to improve blood circulation, detoxify, and relieve pain, described as pungent, bitter and warm in character and believed to replenish the liver. It appears in the Lingnan Medicine Collection (1949) as a remedy for sores, abdominal pain, bruises and swellings. The plant also figures in classical Chinese poetry, likened to an embroidered purse representing pining love. All parts should be handled with caution: the plant contains isoquinoline alkaloids (protopine, scoulerine, corydine) that can cause skin paresthesia on contact and, if ingested in excess, vomiting, diarrhea, neurological symptoms and — in severe cases — respiratory failure or cardiac paralysis.
