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.
Originally thought to be an aberrant form of Cypripedium parviflorum var. pubescens, the morphology of C.kentuckiense suggests it is a species of its own. However, molecular evidence suggests that C.kentuckiense is more closely related to Cypripedium parviflorum var. parviflorum than it is to Cypripedium parviflorum var. pubescens.
Description
C.kentuckiense has the largest flower of in the genus Cypripedium. The petals and sepals are greenish striped and mottled with purple while the very large lip, or pouch, is a creamy ivory or pale yellow. The plant can be up to 70cm (28in) tall and has bract leaf-like leaves that are up to 12cm (4.7in) long. Each plant is usually single-flowered.
The range of this species is not continuous; it mostly consists of relatively isolated patches. It is found in a variety of habitats including floodplains, ravines, forests, and other areas on acidic or sandy soils.[7]
↑Allen, C.M. (2004). "A quantitative study of the vegetation surrounding yellow lady-slipper orchid (Cypripedium kentuckiense, Orchidaceae) populations at Fort Polk in west central Louisiana". Sida: 409–417.
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