Cypripedium acaule

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Cypripedium acaule
Cypripedium acaule - Sasata edit1.jpg
Status TNC G5.svg
Secure  (NatureServe) [2]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Cypripedioideae
Genus: Cypripedium
Species:
C. acaule
Binomial name
Cypripedium acaule
Synonyms [3]
List
    • Calceolus hirsutus (Mill.) Nieuwl.
    • Cypripedium acaule f. albiflora E.L.Rand & Redfield
    • Cypripedium acaule f. biflorum P.M.Br.
    • Cypripedium acaule f. lancifolia House
    • Cypripedium catesbianum Raf.
    • Cypripedium hirsutum Mill.
    • Cypripedium humile Salisb.
    • Cypripedium vittatum var. planum Raf.
    • Fissipes acaulis (Aiton) Small
    • Fissipes acaulis f. lancifolia House
    • Fissipes hirsuta (Mill.) Farw.
    • Fissipes hirsuta f. albiflora (E.L.Rand & Redfield) Farw.

Cypripedium acaule is a species of flowering plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae native to eastern North America. It is currently the provincial flower of Prince Edward Island, Canada, [4] and the state wildflower of New Hampshire, United States. [5]

Contents

Generations before Cypripedium acaule was claimed by modern peoples to help represent Prince Edward Island and New Hampshire, Indigenous Peoples entered into healing relations with this plant. For example, Algonquin Peoples, who "form [part of] the larger cultural group known as the Anishinaabeg," [6] traditionally called on C. acaule to treat menstrual disorders. [7] Due to population decline, harvesting for medicinal purposes is no longer recommended. As C. acaule "takes many years to go from seed to mature plants," the gathering of seed-bearing specimens is presently unsustainable. [8]

Name

Cypripedium acaule is commonly referred to in English as the pink lady's slipper or moccasin flower. [9] [10] [11] The specific epithet acaule means "lacking an obvious stem", [12] a reference to its short underground stem, for which reason the plant is also known as the stemless lady's-slipper. [13] In Anishinaabemowin, it is known as makizinkewe. [14]

Description

Cypripedium acaule is a perennial plant. [15] It grows slowly and up to 0.4 m (1 ft 4 in). [16] Unlike most other species of Cypripedium, the pouch of C. acaule opens in a slit that runs down the front of the labellum rather than a round opening. The plant consists of two plicate leaves near the ground. From between those leaves sprouts a long, pubescent stalk that bears a single pink flower. The sepals and petals tend to be yellowish-brown to maroon with a large pouch that is usually some shade of pink but can be nearly magenta. Leaves are simple, elliptical in shape and opposite in arrangement. [17]

They get pollinated by attracting bees into the slit of the pink flower, but the bees eventually stop visiting them as it provides them with no benefits. [17]

Taxonomy

The genus Cypripedium is one of five genera in the subfamily of slipper orchids Cypripedioideae. Cypripedium acaule was first described in the Western European tradition by the Scottish botanist William Aiton in 1789. He referred to it as the two-leaved lady's slipper. [18]

As of March 2021, Kew's Plants of the World Online (POWO) does not accept any infraspecific taxa. [3] POWO lists a dozen synonyms, one of which is Cypripedium acaule f. albifloraE.L.Rand & Redfield, a form with a white pouch and green petals.

Distribution and habitat

Cypripedium acaule can be found in the eastern third of the United States, particularly in the Great Lakes region and the Northeast in New Hampshire and Maine, south along the Appalachians to Alabama. It is widespread in Canada, where it is found in every province except British Columbia. It also occurs in the Northwest Territories and in St. Pierre & Miquelon. [19] [20] Within its geographic range, it can be found in a wide variety of environments, from coastal plains, to pine barrens, to mountaintops.

C. acaule requires highly acidic soil but tolerates a range of shade and moisture, though it prefers at least partial shade and well-drained slopes. It is usually found in pine forests, where it can be seen in large colonies, but it also grows in deciduous woods. It was long speculated that a fungus association was needed for growth, [21] and that C.acaule could not be artificially cultivated outside of these associations. However, a greater understanding of orchids in general has shown that this association is only needed to germinate orchid seeds and is not required once plants begin making true leaves.

C. acaule is considered endangered in Illinois and Tennessee, Vulnerable in New York, and Unusual in Georgia. [19]

Cultivation

Seed germination labs have increased the commercial availability of C. acaule, although it still tends to be less commonly available than other Cypripedium species and hybrids. This is primarily due to the extra care that must be provided if the growing site is not naturally suitable for in-ground cultivation. This plant grows in soils below a pH of 5, often at 4–4.5. At this high acidity soil fungus is suppressed, and C.acaule can thrive. There is even evidence that it is partially myco-heterotrophic, parasitizing fungus that attempts to invade its roots. However, in soils above pH 5, soil microbes become more than C.acaule can manage, and the plants rot. Seedlings germinated in a sterile environment can grow and thrive in a much higher pH than 5, but must be grown below 5 if removed from the sterility.

For artificial cultivation, container culture is a must, and the growing medium must be naturally acidic. Additionally, all other soil additives must be devoid of any calcium that could buffer the pH to above 5. High quality peat moss or pine duff work well, and pH neutral perlite can be added to improve porosity. Due to the risk of calcium bicarbonate, tap water is unsuitable. Rainwater or distilled water mixed with 2 ounces (57 g) of vinegar per gallon will assure that a reliably high acidity is maintained in the growing medium. Give bright dappled shade or morning sun. Sink pots in winter or store in a cold frame for insulation. Given these conditions, C. acaule can thrive indefinitely, but it will always require much more maintenance than other species/hybrids that can be grown in a wider pH range.

A drawing published in Curtis's Botanical Magazine in 1793 The Botanical Magazine, Plate 192 (Volume 6, 1793).png
A drawing published in Curtis's Botanical Magazine in 1793

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cypripedioideae</span> Subfamily of orchids

Cypripedioideae is a subfamily of orchids commonly known as lady's slipper orchids, lady slipper orchids or slipper orchids. Cypripedioideae includes the genera Cypripedium, Mexipedium, Paphiopedilum, Phragmipedium and Selenipedium. They are characterised by the slipper-shaped pouches of the flowers – the pouch traps insects so they are forced to climb up past the staminode, behind which they collect or deposit pollinia, thus fertilizing the flower. There are approximately 165 species in the subfamily.

<i>Cypripedium</i> Genus of flowering plants in the orchid family Orchidaceae

Cypripedium is a genus of 58 species and nothospecies of hardy orchids; it is one of five genera that together compose the subfamily of lady's slipper orchids (Cypripedioideae). They are widespread across much of the Northern Hemisphere, including most of Europe and Africa (Algeria), Russia, China, Central Asia, Canada the United States, Mexico, and Central America. They are most commonly known as slipper orchids, lady's slipper orchids, or ladyslippers; other common names include moccasin flower, camel's foot, squirrel foot, steeple cap, Venus' shoes, and whippoorwill shoe. An abbreviation used in trade journals is "Cyp." The genus name is derived from Ancient Greek Κύπρις (Kúpris), an early reference in Greek myth to Aphrodite, and πέδιλον (pédilon), meaning "sandal".

<i>Calypso bulbosa</i> Species of orchid

Calypso is a genus of orchids containing one species, Calypso bulbosa, known as the calypso orchid, fairy slipper or Venus's slipper. It is a perennial member of the orchid family found in undisturbed northern and montane forests. It has a small pink, purple, pinkish-purple, or red flower accented with a white lip, darker purple spottings, and yellow beard. The genus Calypso takes its name from the Greek signifying concealment, as they tend to favor sheltered areas on conifer forest floors. The specific epithet, bulbosa, refers to the bulb-like corms.

<i>Clintonia borealis</i> Species of flowering plant

Clintonia borealis is a species of flowering plant in the lily family Liliaceae. The specific epithet borealis means "of the north," which alludes to the fact that the species tends to thrive in the boreal forests of eastern Canada and northeastern United States.

<i>Cypripedium kentuckiense</i> Species of orchid

Cypripedium kentuckiense, the Kentucky lady's slipper or southern lady's slipper, is a member of the orchid genus Cypripedium. Members of this genus are commonly referred to as lady's slipper orchids.

<i>Cypripedium californicum</i> Species of orchid

Cypripedium californicum, the California lady's slipper, is a member of the orchid genus Cypripedium, the lady's slipper orchids, native to the western United States.

<i>Cypripedium montanum</i> Species of orchid

Cypripedium montanum is a member of the orchid genus Cypripedium. It is commonly known as large lady's slipper, mountain lady's slipper, white lady's slipper as well as moccasin flower. This latter is also the common name of Cypripedium acaule.

<i>Iris cristata</i> Species of flowering plant

Iris cristata is a species in the genus Iris, and is part of the subgenus of Limniris. It is a rhizomatous perennial plant, endemic to the eastern United States. It has pale lavender flowers with a white patch and orange or yellow crest. It is a close relative to Iris lacustris, the only other crested iris native to North America. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions.

<i>Cypripedium candidum</i> Species of orchid

Cypripedium candidum, known as the small white lady's slipper or white lady's slipper, is a rare orchid of the genus Cypripedium. It is native to eastern North America across the northern United States and southern Canada.

<i>Cypripedium parviflorum</i> Species of orchid

Cypripedium parviflorum, commonly known as yellow lady's slipper or moccasin flower, is a lady's slipper orchid native to North America. It is widespread, ranging from Alaska south to Arizona and Georgia. It grows in fens, wetlands, shorelines, and damp woodlands.

<i>Goodyera pubescens</i> Species of orchid

Goodyera pubescens, the downy rattlesnake plantain, is one of the most common orchids native to eastern North America. It is found from Florida to Nova Scotia, west to eastern Oklahoma, Minnesota and Ontario.

<i>Cypripedium guttatum</i> Species of orchid

Cypripedium guttatum, the spotted lady's slipper or Alaskan lady's slipper, is a species of orchid found on three continents. Each stem has about two clasping leaves that alternate. The plant has a height of 12 centimeters to 35 centimeters. The magenta and white colored labellum is pitcher shaped.

<i>Cypripedium tibeticum</i> Species of orchid

Cypripedium tibeticum is a species of slipper orchid in the section Cypripedium in the subsec. Macrantha It is native to Bhutan, Sikkim, and Western China.

<i>Cypripedium reginae</i> Species of orchid

Cypripedium reginae, known as the showy lady's slipper, pink-and-white lady's-slipper, or the queen's lady's-slipper, is a rare lady's-slipper orchid native to northern North America. Although never common, this plant has vanished from much of its historical range due to habitat loss. It is the state flower of Minnesota.

<i>Cypripedium calceolus</i> Species of orchid

Cypripedium calceolus is a lady's-slipper orchid, and the type species of the genus Cypripedium. It is native to Europe and Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grass Wood, Wharfedale</span> Ancient woodland in North Yorkshire, England

Grass Wood is an ancient woodland of 88 hectares in Wharfedale, North Yorkshire, England, that has an exceptional ground flora of woodland wildflowers.

<i>Cypripedium arietinum</i> Species of flowering plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae

Cypripedium arietinum, the ram's head lady's slipper, is a rare terrestrial orchid that grows in lightly to heavily shaded areas with calcareous soils. It is characteristic of the alvars around the Great Lakes in North America]. In Canada, it is found from Quebec to Saskatchewan, plus an isolated population in Nova Scotia, where it grows on gypsum based soils, 330 km away from the nearest population in Maine.

<i>Cypripedium elegans</i> Species of orchid

Cypripedium elegans is a lady's-slipper orchid found in Nepal, Bhutan, the Indian Himalayas, Tibet, and Yunnan. It grows in thickets, forest margins and humus rich soil in forests.

<i>Cypripedium passerinum</i> Species of orchid

Cypripedium passerinum is a species of lady's slipper orchid known by the common names sparrow's-egg lady's-slipper, spotted lady's-slipper, and Franklin's lady's-slipper.

<i>Cypripedium yatabeanum</i> Species of orchid

Cypripedium yatabeanum, known as the spotted lady slipper or palomino lady's slipper, is a species of terrestrial orchid. It is native to Alaska, to the Russian Far East, and northern Japan.

References

  1. ↑ Rankou, H. & Sharma, J. (2014). "Cypripedium acaule". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2014: e.T43315493A43327599. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-1.RLTS.T43315493A43327599.en . Retrieved 1 July 2023.
  2. ↑ "Cypripedium acaule". NatureServe Explorer. NatureServe. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
  3. 1 2 "Cypripedium acauleAiton". Plants of the World Online . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  4. ↑ "Prince Edward Island's provincial symbols: Floral emblem". Government of Canada. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  5. ↑ "State Flower & State Wildflower". New Hampshire Almanac. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  6. ↑ "Algonquin | The Canadian Encyclopedia". www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  7. ↑ Moerman, Daniel (2020). Native American Ethnobotany (14th ed.). Portland, Oregon: Timber Press, Inc. p. 191. ISBN   978-0-88192-453-4.
  8. ↑ "Pink Lady's Slipper". www.fs.usda.gov. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  9. ↑ Voitk, Andrus; Voitk, Maria (2006). Orchids on the Rock: The Orchids of Newfoundland. Rocky Harbour, NL: Gros Morne Co-operating Association.
  10. ↑ Cribb, Phillip; Green, Peter (1997). The Genus Cypripedium. Kew Royal Botanic Gardens and Timber Press. ISBN   0-88192-403-2.
  11. ↑ Dickinson, T.; Metsger, D.; Bull, J.; Dickinson, R. (2004). ROM Field Guide to Wildflowers of Ontario. Toronto: Royal Ontario Museum and McClelland and Stewart Ltd. p. 89.
  12. ↑ Gledhill, David (2008). The Names of Plants (4th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 33. ISBN   978-0-521-86645-3 . Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  13. ↑ Sheviak, Charles J. (2002). "Cypripedium acaule". In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.). Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA). Vol. 26. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press. Retrieved 8 March 2021– via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
  14. ↑ Indinawemaaganidog (All My Relatives) Anishinaabe Guide to Animals, Birds, Fish, Reptiles, Insects, and Plants. Odanah, WI: Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission. 2007.
  15. ↑ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Cypripedium acaule". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
  16. ↑ "Cypripedium acaule". Plants for a Future . Retrieved 13 December 2022.
  17. 1 2 "Cypripedium acaule (Moccasin-flower, Pink Lady Slipper) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox". plants.ces.ncsu.edu. Retrieved 2021-12-18.
  18. ↑ Aiton, William (1789). "Cypripedium acaule". Hortus Kewensis; or, a Catalogue of the Plants Cultivated in the Royal Botanic Garden at Kew. 3. London: 303. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  19. 1 2 USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Cypripedium acaule". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team.
  20. ↑ "Cypripedium acaule". County-level distribution map from the North American Plant Atlas (NAPA). Biota of North America Program (BONAP). 2014.
  21. ↑ Cribb, P.; Bailes, C. (1989). Hardy Orchids: Orchids for the Garden and Frost-free Greenhouse. London: Christopher Helm. ISBN   0-7470-0416-1.
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