YELLOW LADY'S SLIPPER ( Whip-poor-wiirs Shoe) 



Cypripedium pacviflorum Salisb. 



May - June l.ate ilay, and bright yellow orchids, the yellow lady's 

 Woods slippers, are in bloom here autl there in some of the occa- 



sional Illinois woods which still support such opulent 

 flowers. Long ago they were far more abundant, but an orchid cannot 

 be safely picked nor its woods pastured ; it is fairly easy to bring about 

 extermination ul' wild orchids in Illinois, and this already has taken 

 ])lace in certain species. Others are so rare that to find one is a high- 

 lighted event of the year. On such an occasion, the splendid discovery 

 should bo loft to remain in those favored woods wliore it can make seeds 

 to increase the supply. 



Yellow lady's slipper — wliip-pooi-w ill's shoe — is like a bright yellow 

 Indian moccasin with twisted, reil-bi-own ties which stand outward from 

 the llowor, with a red-brown, twisttnl petal high over the sli]i]x^r. It is a 

 delight I'ul contrast in colors, and the form of the Jlower is supei'b. The 

 broad, parallel-veined, yellow-green leaves are few on tlie straight stem, 

 ;in(l iU'cent the exotic sliape of the ilower. 



Yellow lady's slippers live in hilly, often rocky. woo<1s. They re(|uire 

 shade enough, but with sunshine liltering througli the high oak leaves. 

 In the rich leaf mold of the oak-acid forest tloor, the rootstocks grow 

 and eacli year send up a new sh<x)t until often quite a group of lady's 

 sli]ipers stands in the sunshine, l^ionecr children knew them and ruth- 

 lessly ])icked them; botany clai^ses in the ])ast gathered th»'m; young 

 ladies on a picnic gaily took home an annload of glistening golden wild 

 orchids. AVoods were cut and pastured. The rich leaf mold wa.shed away. 

 The lady's slip]iors decreased in numbers . . . but still in rare spois in 

 Illinois a few remain and blossom in May. 



