Cypripedium | |
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Showy lady's slipper ( Cypripedium reginae ) | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Monocots |
Order: | Asparagales |
Family: | Orchidaceae |
Subfamily: | Cypripedioideae |
Genus: | Cypripedium L., 1753 |
Type species | |
Cypripedium calceolus L., 1753 | |
Synonyms [1] | |
Cypripedium is a genus of 58 species and nothospecies of hardy orchids; it is one of five genera that together compose the subfamily of lady's slipper orchids (Cypripedioideae). They are widespread across much of the Northern Hemisphere, including most of Europe and Africa (Algeria [2] ) (one species), Russia, China, Central Asia, Canada the United States, Mexico, and Central America. [1] [3] [4] [5] They are most commonly known as slipper orchids, lady's slipper orchids, or ladyslippers; other common names include moccasin flower, camel's foot, squirrel foot, steeple cap, Venus' shoes, and whippoorwill shoe. An abbreviation used in trade journals is "Cyp." The genus name is derived from Ancient Greek Κύπρις (Kúpris), an early reference in Greek myth to Aphrodite, and πέδιλον (pédilon), meaning "sandal". [6]
Most of Cypripedium grow in temperate and subtropical climates, but some species grow in the tundra in Alaska and Siberia, which is an unusually cold habitat for orchids. Other species occur well into tropical areas such as Honduras and Myanmar. [1]
Some of the northern species can withstand extreme cold, growing under the snow and blooming when the snow melts. But, in the wild, some have become rare and close to extinction, due to an ever shrinking natural habitat and over-collection, people prizing the flowers for their beauty. Several species are legally protected in some regions. In the late 20th century, only a single known plant of Cypripedium calceolus survived in Britain.
The Cypripedium are terrestrial and, as with most terrestrial orchids, the rhizome is short and robust, growing in the uppermost soil layer. The rhizome grows annually with a growth bud at one end and dies off at the other end. The stem grows from the bud at the tip of the rhizome. Most slipper orchids have an elongate erect stem, with leaves growing along its length. But the mocassin flower or pink lady's slipper ( Cypripedium acaule ) has a short underground stem with leaves springing from the soil. The often hairy leaves can vary from ovate to elliptic or lanceolate, folded (plicate) along their length. The stems lack pseudobulbs.
The inflorescence is racemose. It can carry one to twelve flowers, as in Cypripedium californicum . But most species have one to three flowers. There are three sepals, with, in most species, the two lateral ones more or less fused. The flower has three acute petals with the third a striking slipper-shaped lip, which is lowermost. The sepals and the petals are usually similarly colored, with the lip in a different color. But variations on this theme occur. The aspect of the lip of different species can vary a great deal. As with all orchids, it is specially constructed to attract pollinators, which it traps temporarily. The flowers show a column with a unique shield-like staminode. The ovary is 3-locular (with three chambers).
Comparison between a DNA-analysis and the morphological characteristics in this genus has shown that there is a high degree of divergence between the two, probably due to long periods of isolation or extinction of intermediate forms. The Eurasian species with yellow or red flowers form a distinct group from the North American species with yellow flowers. The Mexican Pelican Orchid ( Cypripedium irapeanum ) and the California lady's slipper ( Cypripedium californicum ) are probably the first diverging line. They share several similarities with their sister group Selenipedium .
There are 58 currently recognized species and nothospecies (naturally occurring hybrids) recognized in this genus, as of May 2014: [1]
Section | Image | Name | Distribution |
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Acaulia | Cypripedium acaule – Mocassin flower, Pink lady's slipper, Two-leaved lady's slipper | C. and E. Canada, NC & E USA | |
Arietinum | Cypripedium arietinum – Ram's-head lady's slipper | C & E Canada, NC & NE USA | |
Cypripedium plectrochilum | N Myanmar to SC China | ||
Bifolia | Cypripedium guttatum – Spotted lady's slipper | European Russia to Korea, Alaska to Yukon | |
Cypripedium yatabeanum | Russian Far East to N & NC Japan, Aleutian Islands to SW Alaska | ||
Cypripedium | Cypripedium calceolus – Yellow lady's slipper | Europe to Japan, Algeria | |
Cypripedium candidum – Small white lady slipper | SE Canada, NC & E USA | ||
Cypripedium cordigerum – Heart-Lip lady's slipper | N Pakistan to Himalaya, S Tibet | ||
Cypripedium farreri | China | ||
Cypripedium fasciolatum | China | ||
Cypripedium henryi – Henry's lady's slipper | C China | ||
Cypripedium kentuckiense – Kentucky lady's slipper, Southern lady's slipper | C & E USA | ||
Cypripedium montanum – Large lady's slipper, Mountain lady's slipper, White lady's slipper, Moccasin flower | Alaska to California | ||
Cypripedium parviflorum Salisb. – (Greater) yellow lady's slipper, moccasin flower, or hairy yellow ladyslipper | Canada, E USA | ||
Cypripedium segawai | EC Taiwan | ||
Cypripedium shanxiense | China to N Japan | ||
Eniantopedilum | Cypripedium fasciculatum – Brownie lady's slipper, Clustered lady's slipper | W USA | |
Flabellinervia | Cypripedium japonicum – Japan lady's slipper | China, Korea, Japan | |
Cypripedium formosanum – Formosa lady's slipper | C Taiwan | ||
Macrantha | Cypripedium calcicola | China | |
Cypripedium franchetii – Franchet's lady's slipper | C & SC China | ||
Cypripedium himalaicum | SE Tibet to Himalaya | ||
Cypripedium ludlowii | SE Tibet | ||
Cypripedium macranthos – Large-flowered lady's slipper | E Belarus to temperate E Asia | ||
Cypripedium taibaiense | China | ||
Cypripedium taiwanalpinum | Taiwan | ||
Cypripedium tibeticum | Sikkim to C China | ||
Cypripedium yunnanense | SE Tibet, China | ||
Retinervia | Cypripedium elegans | E Nepal to China | |
Cypripedium debile – Frail lady's slipper | Japan, Taiwan, China | ||
Cypripedium palangshanense | China | ||
Sinopedilum | Cypripedium bardolphianum | China | |
Cypripedium forrestii | China | ||
Cypripedium micranthum | China | ||
Trigonopedia | Cypripedium daweishanense (S.C.Chen & Z.J.Liu) S.C.Chen & Z.J.Liu (2005) | Yunnan, China South-Central | |
Cypripedium fargesii | China | ||
Cypripedium lentiginosum | China | ||
Cypripedium lichiangense S.C.Chen & P.J.Cribb | China (SW Sichuan, NW Yunnan), NE Myanmar | ||
Cypripedium malipoense S.C.Chen & Z.J.Liu | Yunnan, China South-Central | ||
Cypripedium margaritaceum – Pearl-white lady's slipper | China | ||
Cypripedium sichuanense | China | ||
Cypripedium wumengense | China (NE. Yunnan) | ||
Section | Image | Name | Distribution |
---|---|---|---|
Irapeana | Cypripedium californicum – California lady's slipper | Oregon, N. California | |
Cypripedium conzattianum | Mexico (Colima) | ||
Cypripedium gomezianum | Mexico (Colima) | ||
Cypripedium luzmarianum | Mexico (Jalisco, Michoacán) | ||
Cypripedium molle | Mexico | ||
Cypripedium dickinsonianum | Mexico (S Chiapas) to Guatemala | ||
Cypripedium irapeanum – Pelican Orchid, Irapeao lady's slipper | Mexico to Honduras | ||
Cypripedium susanae | Mexico (Nayarit) | ||
Obtusipetala | Cypripedium flavum – Yellow lady's slipper | SE Tibet, SC China | |
Cypripedium passerinum – Franklyn's lady's slipper, small white Northern lady's slipper, sparrow's egg lady's slipper | Alaska to Canada, Montana | ||
Cypripedium reginae Walter – Large white lady's slipper, Queen's lady's slipper, showy lady's slipper | C & E Canada, E. USA | ||
Subtropica | Cypripedium subtropicum | SE. Tibet | |
Cypripedium wardii | SE. Tibet, China | ||
Image | Scientific name | Common Name | Distribution |
---|---|---|---|
Cypripedium × alaskanum | C. guttatum × C. yatabeanum | Alaska | |
Cypripedium × andrewsii | C. candidum × C. parviflorum var. pubescens | E Canada, NC & NE USA | |
Cypripedium × catherinae | C. macranthon × C. shanxiense | Russian Far East | |
Cypripedium × columbianum | C. montanum × C. parviflorum var. pubescens | W Canada, NW USA | |
Cypripedium x herae | C.parviflorum x C.reginae | Manitoba, Canada | |
Cypripedium × ventricosum | C. calceolus × C. macranthos | Russia to Korea | |
Cypripedium × wenqingiae | C. farreri × C. tibeticum | China | |
The genus has a long history of use, dating back 2,500 years to the Far East, where they were used medicinally.
Several orchid species thought to be extinct in the United Kingdom including one native species in this genus have been found in habitat and are currently the subject of aggressive conservation efforts to protect and restore these showy plants to their native ranges. [7]
The following have received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit:-
Erythronium, the fawn lily, trout lily, dog's-tooth violet or adder's tongue, is a genus of Eurasian and North American plants in the lily family, most closely related to tulips. The name Erythronium derives from Ancient Greek ἐρυθρός (eruthrós) "red" in Greek, referring to the red flowers of E. dens-canis. Of all the established species, most live in North America; only six species are found in Europe and Asia.
Cypripedioideae is a subfamily of orchids commonly known as lady's slipper orchids, lady slipper orchids or slipper orchids. Cypripedioideae includes the genera Cypripedium, Mexipedium, Paphiopedilum, Phragmipedium and Selenipedium. They are characterised by the slipper-shaped pouches of the flowers – the pouch traps insects so they are forced to climb up past the staminode, behind which they collect or deposit pollinia, thus fertilizing the flower. There are approximately 165 species in the subfamily.
Phragmipedium is a genus of the Orchid family (Orchidaceae) and the only genus comprised in the tribe Phragmipedieae and subtribe Phragmipediinae. The name of the genus is derived from the Greek phragma, which means "division", and pedium, which means "slipper". It is abbreviated 'Phrag' in trade journals.
Selenipedium is a genus of the orchid family (Orchidaceae). The genus has been given its own tribe, Selenipedieae, and subtribe, Selenipediinae. It is abbreviated Sel in trade journals.
Cypripedium kentuckiense, the Kentucky lady's slipper or southern lady's slipper, is a member of the orchid genus Cypripedium. Members of this genus are commonly referred to as lady's slipper orchids.
Cypripedium acaule, the pink lady's slipper or moccasin flower, is a species of flowering plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae native to eastern North America. It is currently the provincial flower of Prince Edward Island, Canada, and the state wildflower of New Hampshire, United States.
Cypripedium californicum, the California lady's slipper, is a member of the orchid genus Cypripedium, the lady's slipper orchids, native to the western United States.
Cypripedium montanum is a member of the orchid genus Cypripedium. It is commonly known as large lady's slipper, mountain lady's slipper, white lady's slipper as well as moccasin flower. This latter is also the common name of Cypripedium acaule.
Cypripedium fasciculatum, the clustered lady's slipper, is a member of the orchid genus Cypripedium. Members of this genus are commonly referred to as ladies' slippers. C. fasciculatum, along with C. montanum and C. californicum, are the only members of the genus Cypripedium that are endemic to western North America.
Cypripedium candidum, known as the small white lady's slipper or white lady's slipper, is a rare orchid of the genus Cypripedium. It is native to eastern North America across the northern United States and southern Canada.
Cypripedium parviflorum, commonly known as yellow lady's slipper or moccasin flower, is a lady's slipper orchid native to North America. It is widespread, ranging from Alaska south to Arizona and Georgia. It grows in fens, wetlands, shorelines, and damp woodlands.
Cypripedium dickinsonianum is a species of orchid known as Dickinson's lady's slipper or Dickinson's cypripedium after American orchidist Stirling Dickinson.
Cypripedium guttatum, the spotted lady's slipper or Alaskan lady's slipper, is a species of orchid found on three continents. Each stem has about two clasping leaves that alternate. The plant has a height of 12 centimeters to 35 centimeters. The magenta and white colored labellum is pitcher shaped.
Cypripedium irapeanum, known as Irapeao's cypripedium or pelican orchid, is a species of orchid found in Mexico and Central America in section irapeana. It has a widespread distribution from the central Mexico states of Sinaloa and Durango south to Guatemala and Honduras. They are found in mixed pine and oak forests on well-drained limestone slopes and in areas with volcanic and clay soil which are rich in metals. They can be found in some areas in groups of hundreds. They bloom from early June to late July.
Cypripedium reginae, known as the showy lady's slipper, pink-and-white lady's-slipper, or the queen's lady's-slipper, is a rare lady's-slipper orchid native to northern North America. Although never common, this plant has vanished from much of its historical range due to habitat loss. It is the state flower of Minnesota.
Adenochilus, commonly known as gnome orchids is a genus of two species of flowering plants in the orchid family Orchidaceae, one endemic to New Zealand and the other to Australia. Both species have a long, horizontal, underground rhizome with a single leaf on the flowering stem and a single resupinate flower with its dorsal sepal forming a hood over the labellum and column.
Cypripedium calceolus is a lady's-slipper orchid, and the type species of the genus Cypripedium. It is native to Europe and Asia.
Cypripedium arietinum, the ram's head lady's slipper, is a rare terrestrial orchid that grows in lightly to heavily shaded areas with calcareous soils. It is characteristic of the alvars around the Great Lakes in North America]. In Canada, it is found from Quebec to Saskatchewan, plus an isolated population in Nova Scotia, where it grows on gypsum based soils, 330 km away from the nearest population in Maine.
Cypripedium passerinum is a species of lady's slipper orchid known by the common names sparrow's-egg lady's-slipper, spotted lady's-slipper, and Franklin's lady's-slipper.
Cypripedium yatabeanum, known as the spotted lady slipper or palomino lady's slipper, is a species of terrestrial orchid. It is native to Alaska, to the Russian Far East, and northern Japan.