- Cypripedium arietinum
-
Ram's-Head Lady's-Slipper 
Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae (unranked): Angiosperms (unranked): Monocots Order: Asparagales Family: Orchidaceae Subfamily: Cypripedioideae Genus: Cypripedium Species: C. arietinum Binomial name Cypripedium arietinum
R.Br. (1813)Synonyms - Criosanthes arietina (R. Br.) House (1905)
- Criosanthes borealis Raf. (1818)
- Arietinum americanum L.C. Beck (1833)
- Cypripedium arietinum f. biflorum P.M.Br. (1995)
The rare Ram's-Head Lady's-Slipper (Cypripedium arietinum) is an orchid that is native to the alvars around the Great Lakes in North America.
The plant grows to 10-40 cm (4-16 in), and the flowers may reach 1-2 cm (0.5-0.75 in). It flowers from May to June, producing brownish-green flowers with a pink and white lip.
The Ram's-Head Lady's-Slipper is difficult to cultivate, and rarely survives transplantation to a garden from the wild.
Description
Cypripedium arietinum is a small Lady's-Slipper which typically has 3, but sometimes 4-5, leaves. This species has a single flower on each stem having divided lateral sepals and a unique hairy pouch shaped like an funnel. The purplish-red flower has light venation and is white at the lip.
Conservation
Uncommon in Ontario, rare in Manitoba, the Ram's-Head Lady's-Slipper is a threatened plant species in many areas within its range, including Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, and Saskatchewan. It is believed to be extirpated in Connecticut.
This flower has now been listed as an endangered species in Nova Scotia ( http://www.hfxnews.ca/index.cfm?sid=70212&sc=89 )
This Cypripedioideae-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
