Corydalis miaotaiensis, a new species of C. sect. Asterostigma Fedde ex C.Y. Wu & H. Chuang (Papaveraceae) from the Qinling-Daba mountains region, central China, is described. It belongs in the C. temulifolia group of the section and is most closely similar to C. ternatifolia C.Y. Wu, Z.Y. Su & Lidén, but differs by having crested (vs. ecristate) outer petals, unbranched, suberect, erect and decumbent (vs. branched, ascending) stems, bipinnate (vs. biternate) rosette leaves and by the presence (vs. absence) of axillary bulbils, long stolons, and long shoots. This study suggests the need of fully botanizing growth habit for species description in Corydalis that is linked to plant life stages.