D/^iVDR^— CYPRIPEDIUM 43 



keeled below, yellowish or white, with crimson spots and obtuse apex. Stigma close to 

 and facing the hairy base of the lip, triangular with rounded angles, somewhat convex, 

 but depressed in the centre, dry, non-viscous, covered with papillas pointing obliquely 

 downwards, and really consisting of three confluent stigmas. Anther cup-shaped, 

 open, 2-celled, filled with very adhesive material in wliich the single non-coherent 

 pollen-grains are imbedded. Fruiting capsule large, 6-ridged. 



The short broad leaves, resembling those of Convallaria majaiis, when once seen can 

 be recognised at a glance. The large solitary flowers (rarely two on the same stalk) 

 with claret sepals and petals and big yellow calceolaria-hke lip cannot be mistaken 

 for any other European orchid. The edges of the lip curl inwards, and there are two 

 shallow rounded auricles at the base making the central opening rather violin-shaped. 

 There are 7-9 yellow nerves spreading fan- wise from the base of the lip to its mouth, 

 with reddish irregular tubercles, surmounted by 2-3 short hairs, at intervals. The 

 crimson-spotted staminode partly closes the mouth of the lip. Colour-variations 

 of the flowers have been named as varieties, e.g. albuf?/ Pfitz., citrinum Hergt (with 

 lemon-yellow sepals and petals), /zra/// ^lon, fuivum Christ, and viridiflorum Schulze. 

 These appear to be individual variations hardly worthy of varietal rank. 



It is remarkable that the species nearest to C. calceolus are to be found, not in Asia, 

 but in N. America, where there are several species whose close relationship cannot 

 be disputed.! Glandular hairs are mixed with the ordinary hairs on the stem, leaves, 

 ovary, and perianth,^ and serve to keep out undesirable wingless insects. 



Habitat. Shady woods and bushy slopes, more rarely in the open, usually in 

 mountain regions, generally on calcareous soil. It seems to prefer a northern aspect, 

 shade, and moisture, and has been found up to 1700 m. in the Tyrol 



Distribution. Formerly in Durham, Yorks. and Westmorland. Now extinct or 

 nearly so, though a few plants may linger in places inaccessible to the public. Northern 

 and Central Europe including Scandinavia, Denmark, Germany, Austria, Switzer- 

 land, E. and Central France, Pyrenees, N. Italy, N. Balkans, N. Greece, all Russia 

 and the Caucasus. In Asia it extends throughout Siberia to Saghalien, and finds its 

 southern limit in the Himalayas. 



Cypripedium calceolus L., Sp. pi. p. 951 (1753). 



Fertilisation. The staminode with its conspicuous crimson spots appears to serve 

 as a landing-stage leading to the central opening of the lip. Attracted by the scent 

 and colour of the flower small bees of the genus Andrena lick and bite the hairs on 

 the floor of the lip, which are tipped with minute drops of honey.3 These serve as 



1 Schlechter und Keller, Mon. Orch. Bur. i, 86. 



2 Camus, Icon. p. 511. 



3 H. Muller, Fert. Flowers, English translation, p. 539 (1883). 



6-2 



