58 Dog-Trotting for Orchids 



intergrading, — the larger species, Cypripedium Mr- 

 sutum^ producing variegated sepals and petals, or 

 possibly now and then a brown - pink petal or sepal, 

 imitating the type species of the smaller Moccasin- 

 Flower, Both species were fragrant in a slight degree, 

 Cypripedium parvifiorum being, of course, the more 

 fragrant of the two. 



There is an European Yellow Cypripedium {Cypri- 

 pedium calceolus) which is almost identical with the 

 smaller species of North America, Cypripedium parvi- 

 fiorum. As early as 1760, Cypripedium calceolus was 

 described and illustrated in color in Philip Miller's 

 Figures of Plants. Linnaeus, 1740, gave the European 

 yellow species the present generic and specific designa- 

 tion. Any history relating to that species of Lady's 

 Slipper, as it was first known in Europe by Dodoens 

 as early as 16 16 under the title of Calceolus Marianus, 

 will also pertain to the history of the two closely allied 

 Yellow Cypripediums found in North America. 



The common English name " Lady's Slipper" arose 

 from the Latin Mariatius, referring to " Our Lady," 

 the Virgin Mary, while Calceolus is the Latin for shoe 

 or slipper. Linnseus, however, in 1740, being a de- 

 vout Lutheran, objected to this species being dedicated 

 to the Mother of Christ, and re-established the custom 

 of dedicating the names of flowers to gods and god- 

 desses of classical mythology known before Christ. 

 The origin of the generic name Cypripedium is from 

 the two Greek words Kvnpig^ an ancient name for 

 Venus, and nodiov, a sock, btiskin, or slipper. 



