Cypripedium reginae
| Showy lady's Slipper Queen's Lady's-slipper Pink-and-white Lady's-slipper |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Orchidaceae |
| Subfamily: | Cypripedioideae |
| Genus: | Cypripedium |
| Species: | C. reginae |
| Binomial name | |
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Cypripedium reginae Walter (1788) |
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The Showy Lady's-slipper (Cypripedium reginae), also known as the Pink-and-white Lady's-slipper or the Queen's Lady's-slipper, is a rare, terrestrial, temperate, lady's-slipper orchid native to northern North America.
Despite producing a large amount of seeds per seed pod, it reproduces largely by vegetative reproduction, and remains restricted to the North East region of the United States and south east regions of Canada. Although never common, this rare plant has vanished from much of its historical range due to habitat loss. It has been a subject of horticultural interest for many years with Charles Darwin who like many, were unsuccessful in cultivating the plant.
It is the state flower of Minnesota, United States, and is the provincial flower of the province of Prince Edward Island, Canada.
The species name reginae is Latin for "of a queen". Common names include Fairy Queen, Queen's Lady Slipper, Showy Lady's Slipper, White Wing Moccasin, Royal Lady's Slipper Female, Nervine and Silver-Slipper.
The plant became the state flower of Minnesota in 1902 and was protected by state law in 1925. It is illegal to pick or uproot a Showy Lady's Slipper flower in Minnesota.
Although this plant was chosen as the provincial flower for Prince Edward Island in 1947, it is so rare on the island that another Lady's-slipper, C. acaule (moccasin flower or pink lady's slipper), replaced it as the province's floral emblem in 1965.
The Lady Slipper is honored in Taunton, Massachusetts by a sign inscribed Lady Slipper Grove and a brook named Lady Slipper Brook on Misty Lane in the cities Oakland, Massachusetts area. The Lady Slipper blooms near the brook every few years in about April-May.
Cypripedium reginae grows in wetlands such as fens and open wooded swamps that are sometimes populated by tamarack and black spruce.[7] Cyp. reginae thrives in neutral to basic soils but can be found in slightly acidic conditions. The plants often form in clumps by branching of the underground rhizomes. Its roots are typically within a few inches of the top of the soil. It prefers very loose soils and when growing in fens it will most often be found in mossy hummocks.
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Wikipedia