68 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



separate, lanceolate, one-half to seven-eighths of an inch long, longer than 

 the lip; petals linear, greenish brown, about as long as the sepals; lip one- 

 half to three-fourths of an inch long, red and white, veiny, prolonged at 

 the apex into a long blunt spur, somewhat distorted at the upper end, 

 which gives the plant its common name of Ram's-head Lady's-slipper. 



A very rare species of cold and damp woods from Quebec to Manitoba, 

 Massachusetts, New York and Minnesota. It has been collected but a few 

 times in the northern counties of this State. The colored illustration is 

 made from a photograph taken in southern Herkimer county by Mr 

 Edward H. Eames of Buffalo and the accompanying halftone from a 

 photograph by Mr G. A. Bailey of Geneseo. 



Moccasin Flower; Stemless Lady's-slipper 



Fissipes acaulis (Aiton) Small 

 {Cypripedium acaule Aiton) 



Plate 33 and Figure VI 



A short-stemmed plant with only two large, basal, elliptic leaves, 6 to 

 8 inches long and 2 to 3 inches wide, thick and dark green. The single 

 fragrant flower borne on a scape 6 to 1 5 inches high ; sepals greenish purple, 

 spreading, \\ to 2 inches long, lanceolate, the two lateral ones united; 

 petals narrower and somewhat longer than the sepals; lip a large, drooping, 

 inflated sac with a closed fissure down its whole length in front, i| to 2\ 

 inches long, somewhat obovoid, .pink with darker veins, rarely white, the 

 upper part of the interior surface of the lip crested with long, w T hite hairs. 

 Fruit an ascending capsule, pointed at each end. 



In sandy or rocky woods, Newfoundland to Manitoba, south to North 

 Carolina, Tennessee and Minnesota. One of the few conspicuous wild 

 flowers that appears to be equally at home in the pine lands of the northern 

 coastal plain and the rocky woods of the central and northern part of the 

 State. On Long Island it sometimes blooms in May but in the north it 

 usually blooms in June. 



