The Moccasin-Flower 



Of all our native orchids, 

 at least in the northeast- 

 ern United States, the 

 cvpripedium, or moccasin- 

 ilower, is perhaps the 

 > general favorite, and cer- 

 tainly the most widely 

 known. This is readily 

 "^ accounted for not only 

 by its frequency, but by 

 its conspicuousness. The term 

 ''moccasin-flower" is applied 

 J more or less indiscriminately 

 to all species. The flow^er is also 

 known as the lady's-slipper, more 

 specifically Venus's-slipper, as w^arranted 

 by its generic botanical title, from a 

 fancied resemblance in the form of the inflated lip, 

 which is characteristic of the genus. We may readily 

 infer that the fair goddess was not consulted at the 

 christening. There are six native species of the 

 cypripedium in this Eastern region, varymg in 

 shape and in color — shades of white, yellow, 



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