ORCHID FAMILY. Orcbidaceae. 



This is perhaps the most beautiful plant 

 supped ^"'^^'^ of the whole genus. The stem is stout 

 Cypripedium and leafy to the top, the flower fragrant ; 

 spectabiie its pouch is white more or less blotched or 



White, criin= stained with velvety light crimson-ma- 

 son= magenta ^^^ ^he sepals and petals white, broad 

 June-July & » t- t- 



and not longer than the rotund pouch. 

 The sterile stamen long-heart-shaped, stained yellow at 

 the tip and spotted crimson, crowns the column (see 

 C. acaule). 1-2 feet high. Swamps and wet woods 

 Me., south to Ga., west to Minn. 



The commoner and more familiar lady's 

 Moccasin slipper, with two large leaves from the 



Stemless root, without a plant-stem, the slightly 



Lady's Slipper fragrant flower terminating a long slender 

 Cypripedium stem with a green leaflet or bract at the 

 acaule point of junction ; the pouch crimson-pink 



M^r-early Tu'^iy ^^'^^'^^^ white) veined with a deeper pink, 



sepals and petals greenish and brown, 

 more or less curved and wav^^ The third, or sterile 

 stamen of Cypripediuin crowning the column and over- 

 hanging the stigma is variable according to the species ; 

 in C. acaule it is angularly six-sided, in C. candidum 

 lance-shaped, in C. jjuhescens long-triangular, and in C. 

 spectabile heart-shaped ; beneath these is the hidden 

 stigma which receives pollen from the backs of visiting 

 bumblebees or honeybees, or most frequently from the 

 smaller bees, members of the tribes Andrena and Hal- 

 ictus (C. M. Weed). In 31y Studio Neiglibors Wm. 

 Hamilton Gibson describes at length the fertilization of 

 C. acaide by the bumblebee. 8-12 inches high. Me. to 

 N. Car. and Kv., west to Minn. 



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