OregonFlora: Cypripedium californicum vs. Cypripedium

	Cypripedium californicum	Cypripedium
	California lady slipper	lady's-slipper, lady slipper
Habit	Herbs to 80(100 or more) cm tall.	Herbs perennial, to 130 cm tall.
Stems		erect, often pubescent.
Leaves	alternate, 5–10, 5–15 × 2–6 cm, grading into bracts in the inflorescence.	opposite or alternate; ovate to elliptic, typically with distinct pleating, with sheathing bases.
Inflorescences	elongated, 3–20-flowered.	elongated or compressed racemes.
Flowers	dorsal sepal elliptic, 1.5–2 × 1–1.5 cm; yellowish green to pale brownish yellow; lateral sepals connate nearly to tip, similar in color and shape to dorsal sepal; petals lanceolate, 1–2 × 0.3–0.5 cm, yellow to yellowish green; lip 1.5–2 × 1–1.5 cm, white occasionally with pink.	lateral sepals united, with distinct inflated lip; stamens 2.

	Cypripedium californicum	Cypripedium
Distribution	[WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	[BONAP county map]
Discussion	Small streams, riversides, seepage slopes, usually on serpentine soils. Flowering Apr–Jul. 200–1600m. CR, Sisk. CA. Native. Usually endemic to serpentine-derived soils, California lady slipper is often found growing with the carnivorous plant Darlingtonia californica in seepage slopes and small streams.	North America, Eurasia. Approximately 50 species; 3 species treated in Flora. Lady slippers are unique among Oregon orchids in that they have two functional stamens, instead of one. Some authorities have treated Cypripedium as a distinct family, Cypripediaceae, based on this morphological feature.
Source	Flora of Oregon, volume 1, page 322 James Riser	Flora of Oregon, volume 1, page 322 James Riser
Sibling taxa	C. fasciculatum, C. montanum
Subordinate taxa		C. californicum, C. fasciculatum, C. montanum
Web links	Local floras: CA, OR Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, PNW Herbaria, Turner Photog. WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search	Local floras: CA, OR, WA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, PNW Herbaria, Turner Photog. WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Cypripedium

California lady slipper

lady's-slipper, lady slipper

Habit

Herbs to 80(100 or more) cm tall.

Herbs perennial, to 130 cm tall.

Stems

erect, often pubescent.

Leaves

alternate, 5–10, 5–15 × 2–6 cm, grading into bracts in the inflorescence.

opposite or alternate; ovate to elliptic, typically with distinct pleating, with sheathing bases.

Inflorescences

elongated, 3–20-flowered.

elongated or compressed racemes.

Flowers

dorsal sepal elliptic, 1.5–2 × 1–1.5 cm; yellowish green to pale brownish yellow;

lateral sepals connate nearly to tip, similar in color and shape to dorsal sepal;

petals lanceolate, 1–2 × 0.3–0.5 cm, yellow to yellowish green;

lip 1.5–2 × 1–1.5 cm, white occasionally with pink.

lateral sepals united, with distinct inflated lip;

stamens 2.

Cypripedium

Distribution

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

Discussion

Small streams, riversides, seepage slopes, usually on serpentine soils. Flowering Apr–Jul. 200–1600m. CR, Sisk. CA. Native.

Usually endemic to serpentine-derived soils, California lady slipper is often found growing with the carnivorous plant Darlingtonia californica in seepage slopes and small streams.

North America, Eurasia. Approximately 50 species; 3 species treated in Flora.

Lady slippers are unique among Oregon orchids in that they have two functional stamens, instead of one. Some authorities have treated Cypripedium as a distinct family, Cypripediaceae, based on this morphological feature.

Source

Flora of Oregon, volume 1, page 322
James Riser

Sibling taxa

C. fasciculatum, C. montanum

Subordinate taxa

C. californicum, C. fasciculatum, C. montanum

Web links