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CYPRIPE'DIUM* *. 



Linnean Class and Order. Gyna'ndria f, Dia'ndria. 



Natural Order. Orchi'de.®, Juss. Gen. PI. p. 64. — Sm. Gram, 

 of Bot. p. 81. ; Engl. FI. v. iv. p. 3. — Rich, by Macgilliv. p. 412. — 

 Orchi'dea; ; tribe, CypripedieUe, Lindl. Syn. pp. 256 & 263. ; 

 Introduct. to Nat. Syst. of Bot. pp. 262 & 265. — Loud. Hort. Brit, 

 pp. 536 & 537. 



Gen. Char. Perianthium% ( Calyx and Corolla ) superior. 

 Sepals 3, between egg-shaped and spear-shaped, taper pointed, 

 spreading, coloured; the upper one the broadest, the two lowermost 

 generally combined nearly their whole length. Petals 2, about the 

 same length as the sepals, or longer, spreading, strap-spear-shaped, 

 pointed, wavy. Lip (Nectary of Linn.) without a spur; inversely 

 egg-shaped, inflated, blunt, membranous, prominent, mostly shorter 

 than the petals, with an irregular longitudinal fissure above. Fila- 

 ments (see figs. 1, 2, and 3) 2, on the column, lateral, opposite, 

 spreading, oblong, fleshy. Anthers (see figs. 1, 2, and 3) lateral, 

 elliptical. Germen inferior, oblong, triangular, furrowed. Style 

 or Column (see figs. 1, 2, and 3) short and stout, somewhat com- 

 pressed, bearing the stamens, and terminating above them in a di- 

 lated, petal-like, horizontal lobe, or appendage, representing a barren 

 stamen, and dividing the anthers. Stigma (see fig. 1.) beneath this 

 appendage, and parallel to it, in like manner dilated and flattened, 

 but smaller. Capsule (figs. 4 & 5) oblong, angular, furrowed. Seeds 

 oblong, numerous. 



Distinguished from other genera in the same class by the large, 

 inflated lip or nectary ; the 2 fertile stamens ; and the dilated, petal- 

 like lobe (or sterile stamen) at the summit of the column, separating 

 the anthers (see figs. 1 & 2). 



One species British. 



CYPRIPE'DIUM CALCE'OLUS. Common Lady’s Slipper. 



Spec. Char. Stem leafy. Terminal lobe of the column nearly 

 egg-shaped, channelled. Lip shorter than the sepals, somewhat 

 laterally compressed. 



Engl. Bot. t. 1. — Hook. FI. Lond. t. 42 ! ! — Linn. Sp. PI. p. 1346. — Iluds. FI. 

 Angl.(2nd ed.) p.392. — Saiisb. in Tr. Lin. Soc. v. i. p. 76. t. 2. f. 1. — Sm. Fi. Br. 

 v. iii. p. 941. Engl. FI. v. iv. p. 51. — With. (7th ed.) v. ii. p. 48.— Lind. Syn. p. 

 263. — Hook. Brit. FI. p. 380. — Curt. Brit. Entomol. v. ix. t. 416! — W'inch’s 

 Essay on the Geogr. Distrib. of Plants, &c. p.24. — Cypripedium ferrugineum, 

 Gray’s Nat. Arr. v. ii. p. 2 13. — Calce'olus Maries, Ray’s Syn. p. 385. — John- 

 son’s Gerarde, p. 443. — Blackst. Spec. Bot. p. 10. 



Localities. — In mountainous woods and thickets, in the North of England. 

 Very rare. — Durham; The north branch of Castle Eden Dene: Mr. Robson. 

 Castle Eden Dene ; on rocks not far from the sea ; (a different habitat from Mr. 

 Robson’s;) Mr. Winch, who states, that it is not found at Warm-shades, near 

 Keswick, as reported by Hutton : Dr. Withering. — Lancashire ; Borough 



Fig. 1. Column, with its petal-like appendage, the 2 Stamens, and the Pistil. — 

 •Fig. 2. A front view of the same. — Fig. 3. The under side of the Column, Sta- 

 mens, and Pistil, the appendage or sterile Stamen being removed. — Fig. 4. Cap- 

 sule. — Fig. 5. The same divided longitudinally. 



* From Kupris, Gr. Venus; and podion, Gr. a shoe or slipper: Venus' 

 slipper. 



t See Ophrys apifera, fol. 8. n. t- 7 See Galanthus nivalis, fol. 33. n. f . 



