Lady's Slipper

Lady's Slipper

Taxobox
name = Lady's Slipper Orchids


image_width = 250px
image_caption = An orchid of the genus "Paphiopedilum"
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Liliopsida
ordo = Asparagales
familia = Orchidaceae
subfamilia = Cypripedioideae
subdivision_ranks = Genera
subdivision = See Taxonomy of the orchid family.

Lady Slippers (aka Lady's Slipper, Lady's-slipper, Ladyslipper) is a term used to describe the orchids in the subfamily Cypripedioidea, which includes the genera "Cypripedium, Mexipedium, Paphiopedilum, Phragmipedium" and "Selenipedium", distinguished by their slipper-shaped pouches (modified labellums), which function by trapping insects so that they are forced to climb up past the staminode, behind which they collect or deposit pollinia.

This subfamily has been considered by some (Rasmussen, 1985) to be a family Cypripediaceae, separate from the Orchidaceae.

The subfamily Cypripedioideae is monophyletic and consists of five genera. Their common features are two fertile diandrous (that is, with two perfect stamens) anthers, a shield-shaped staminode and a saccate (sac-shaped) lip.

"Cypripedium" are found across much of North America, as well as in parts of Europe. The state flower of Minnesota is the Showy Lady's Slipper ("Cypripedium reginae"). The Pink Lady's Slipper, ("Cypripedium acaule"), is the official state wildflower of New Hampshire. The Lady's Slipper is also the official provincial flower of Prince Edward Island, a province of Canada.

"Paphiopedilum"s are found in the tropical forests of southeast Asia reaching as far north as southern China. "Paphiopedilum" is quite easy to cultivate and therefore is popular among orchid enthusiasts. In fact, overcollecting of this genus has caused some problems in its original habitat.

"Phragmipedium", found across northern South and Central America, is also easy to cultivate as it requires lower temperatures than "Paphiopedilum", eliminating the need for a greenhouse in many areas.

The lady's slipper is also known in the United States of America as the "moccasin flower", from its resemblance to a shoe or moccasin.

References

*Rasmussen, F. N. 1985. Orchids. In R. M. Dahlgren, H. T. Clifford, and P. F. Yeo [eds.] , The families of the monocotyledons. Springer Verlag, Berlin.
*Cash, C. 1991. "The Slipper Orchids", Timber Press ISBN 0-88192-183-1. Lists 140 slipper orchid species.
*Cox, A.V., A. M. Pridgeon, V. A. Albert, and M. W. Chase. 1997. Phylogenetics of the slipper orchids (Cypripedioideae: Orchidaceae): nuclear rDNA ITS sequences. "Plant Systematics and Evolution" 208: 197-223. [http://folk.uio.no/victoraa/Cox_1997.pdf PDF]
*Pridgeon, A.M.; Cribb, P.J.; Chase, M.W. & F. N. Rasmussen (1999): Genera Orchidacearum Vol.1, Oxford U. Press. ISBN 0-19-850513-2

External links

* [http://www.slipperorchid.org/ The Slipper Orchid Alliance]
* [http://www.slipperorchids.info/ SlipperOrchids.info]


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Lady's slipper — La dy s slip per . (Bot.) Any orchidaceous plant of the genus {Cypripedium}, the labellum of which resembles a slipper. Less commonly, in the United States, the garden balsam ({Impatiens Balsamina}). [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • lady's slipper — noun any of several chiefly American wildflowers having an inflated pouchlike lip; difficult or impossible to cultivate in the garden • Syn: ↑lady slipper, ↑ladies slipper, ↑slipper orchid • Hypernyms: ↑orchid, ↑orchidaceous plant • …   Useful english dictionary

  • lady's slipper — Any member of several genera of orchids in which the lip of the flower is slipper shaped. The genus Cypripedium has about 50 temperate and subtropical species. Two well known species, the yellow lady s slipper (C. calceolus) and the pink lady s… …   Universalium

  • lady's slipper — Impatiens Im*pa ti*ens ([i^]m*p[=a] sh[i^]*[e^]nz), prop. n. [L., impatient.] (Bot.) A genus of plants, several species of which have very beautiful flowers; so called because the elastic capsules burst when touched, and scatter the seeds with… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Lady´s slipper — plačialapė klumpaitė statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Gegužraibinių šeimos vaistinis, dekoratyvinis augalas (Cypripedium calceolus), paplitęs Europoje ir Azijoje. atitikmenys: lot. Cypripedium calceolus angl. Lady´s slipper vok. gelber… …   Lithuanian dictionary (lietuvių žodynas)

  • lady's slipper — noun Date: 1597 any of several North American temperate zone orchids (as of the genus Cypripedium) having flowers whose shape suggests a slipper called also lady slipper …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • lady's-slipper — /lay deez slip euhr/, n. 1. any orchid of the genus Cypripedium, the flowers of which have a protruding petal somewhat resembling a slipper: all species are reduced in numbers, some greatly. 2. any of several other related plants having similar… …   Universalium

  • lady's-slipper — /lay deez slip euhr/, n. 1. any orchid of the genus Cypripedium, the flowers of which have a protruding petal somewhat resembling a slipper: all species are reduced in numbers, some greatly. 2. any of several other related plants having similar… …   Useful english dictionary

  • lady's slipper — noun A variety of orchid in the subfamily Cypripedioideae distinguished by their slipper shaped pouches which trap insects to improve pollination rates. Syn: slipper orchid …   Wiktionary

  • lady's slipper — noun an orchid whose flower has a pouch or slipper shaped lip. [Genus Cypripedium.] …   English new terms dictionary

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