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THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA. 



ance of the flowers, and the name spectabile also alludes 

 to the beautiful spectacle of these plants in the boglands. 

 A pure white form, rarely found, was designated C. al- 

 bum in Aiton's "'Catalogue of Plants," in 1789, and Lind- 

 ley, in 1840, adopted Aiton"s name for our species, so 

 that the plant has been known by several names since 

 Carnoti first christened it in 1635. 



The leafy stems of this queen of the moccasin flowers 

 rise three, and often four feet in height and resemble 

 Indian poke or hellebore, with which they are often 

 found in quaking boglands. The terminal flower-cluster 

 contains from one to three and sometimes four large 

 waxen-white blossoms tinged with a deep rose-purple or 

 magenta. The species ranges from Nova Scotia, south 

 to Alabama ; westward from the jMaine Woods to Wal- 

 halla Mountains, North Dakota, and the Barrens of Ken- 

 tucky. In 1891, A. E. Pratt discovered several fine plants 

 of C. reginae in a bog on the Thibetan frontier of Asia, 

 and sent some of them to the Kew Garden, England, for 

 cultivation. The report of both C. arietinum, and C. 

 reginae, growing naturally in China, confirms the close 

 relationship often noticed between the flora of eastern 

 North America and mat of Asia. 



Our small white moccasin flower ( C. candidum ) was 

 first collected in Pennsylvania, although it is better 

 known as a prairie species today. It is found in dam]) 

 hollows, where it flourishes with the iris, painted-cuj), 

 and crimson phlox. The plant is small and the inlcnur 

 of the tiny white slipper is ornamented with crimson 

 spots. The graceful sepals and side petals are of a 

 greenish-crimson color. The species is most nearly al- 

 lied to Cypripedium reginae, and is easily cultivated in 

 our gardens. It has a range from Connecticut, westward 

 to North Dakota and Kentucky. 



The golden moccasin flower (C. irapeanum) found in 

 the oak forests of Mexico was considered by Lindley as 

 the largest and most magnificent Cypripedium in the 

 world. It is designated by the Spanish and Mexican In- 

 dians as "Fleur dele Calavera," and '"Fleur dele tete de 

 niort" — the flower of the head of death. This moccasin 

 flower is rarely collected by the natives, since they are 

 very superstitious and fear the evil spirit, which they be- 

 lieve, haunts its trail. Cypripedium irapeanum is the 

 only terrestrial species which produces a woody stem. It 

 rises four feet in height and is adorned with a terminal 

 cluster of three to eight large, golden shoe-shaped blos- 

 soms, which resemble Cypripedium reginae in structure. 

 The labellum is of a dark gold, adorned within with scar- 

 let spots, and the short, blunt sepals and side petals are 

 of a pale yellow hue. The species — the only terrestrial 

 one reported for Old Mexico, ranges along the grassy 

 hillsides in the oak forests, from New Mexico southward 

 to the Isthmus of Panama. 



Our two yellow moccasin flowers (C. hirsutum and C. 

 parviflorum) are among the mo.st common of the native 

 Cypripediums. and are nearly related to the European 

 yellow Lady Slipper. Cypripedium hirsutum, the larger 

 species, ranges from the sub-arctic lands, where it is re- 

 ported in latitude 54 degs. to 64 degs. north, southw'ard 

 to Alabama and westward from the Maine woods to 

 Colorado and beyond. It is easily cultivated. 



The small yellow moccasin flower (C. parviflorum) is 

 the only fragrant Cypripedium reported for the Atlantic 

 region, it is nearly related to C. montanum. a fragrant 

 species of the Pacific slope and is frequently found with 

 C. hirsutum. with which it intergrades. It has a similar 

 continental range, although it does not creep so far 

 north. It is the most easih- cultivated amonc; our native 



as the whippoorwiirs-shoe, belongs to the two-leaves sec- 

 tion. The scape rises from the earth between two large, 

 basal leaves, while the terminal, large pendulous slipper 

 is bi-lobed. It is of a delicate pink, green, and wdiite 

 color, with interior veinings of dark pink. Cypripedium 

 acaule has a range from Newfoundland southward to 

 Alabama and westward from the Maine woods to Min- 

 nesota and Kentucky. In New England it is found in 

 sphagnum bogs, and in dark conifer woodlands in com- 

 pany with C. arietinum. C. hirsutum, C. parviflorum. and 

 C. reginae. Among our native Cypripediums this is the 

 most difficult to cultivate. 



The dwarf yellow moccasin flower (C. pusillum) is one 

 of the smallest species known. It was first reported from 

 Florida by R. A. Rolfe. It also belongs to the two-leaved 

 section, and has been confused as a varietal form of 

 Cypripedium fasciculatum — the pigmy species of tlie 



species. 

 The comm 



k moccasin flower (C. acaule) known 



Coinl.-sv nf The Amcrucn «-!iiiii.t'. 



THE orKKN OF THK MOCtASlN 1-LOWERS. 

 Cypripedium reginae. 



Pacific region, ihe scape is very small, and produces a 

 raceme of two or three terminal shoe-shaped flowers. 

 The labellum is liglit yellow, with veinings of brown- 

 purple color. 



Cypripedium Californicum is the most beautiful species 

 found west of the Rocky Mountain Divide. It is the 

 only native which produces a long raceme of flowers, and 

 is endemic to the Pacific slope. It was found by Dou- 

 glas in company with the pitcher plant (Darlingtonia) 

 in a boggy meadow at the base of Mount Shasta, Cali- 

 fornia. Prof. Asa Gray described the species in 1868. 



