The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

cypripède tête-de-bélier, ram's-head, ram's-head lady's-slipper

Habit Plants erect, 10–35 cm.
Leaves

3–4, along middle portion of stem, spiraled to alternate, ascending to spreading;

blade narrowly elliptic to ovate-lanceolate or oblong, 5–11 × 1.3–3.5 cm.

Flowers

usually solitary (rarely 2 in forma biflorum P.

m

.

Brown

);

sepals green with reddish brown markings;

dorsal sepal broadly elliptic to ovate-lanceolate, 15–25 × 5–10 mm;

lateral sepals distinct, 12–20 × 1.5–4 mm;

petals somewhat spreading, same color as sepals, somewhat spirally twisted, linear- to linear-lanceolate, 11–24 × 1–2 mm;

lip white with green apex, usually with extensive reddish reticulations often merging toward apex, adaxially swollen near middle, 10–16 mm, apex abruptly deflected downward, orifice basal, 7–12 mm;

staminode suborbicular.

2n

= 20.

Cypripedium arietinum

Phenology Flowering May–Jun.
Habitat Dry to moist open coniferous and mixed forests, coniferous-forested fens, beach thickets
Elevation mostly 0–400 m (mostly 0–1300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CT; MA; ME; MI; MN; NH; NY; VT; WI; MB; NS; ON; QC; SK
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Source FNA vol. 26, p. 501.
Parent taxa Orchidaceae > subfam. Cypripedioideae > Cypripedium
Sibling taxa
C. acaule, C. californicum, C. candidum, C. fasciculatum, C. guttatum, C. kentuckiense, C. montanum, C. parviflorum, C. passerinum, C. reginae, C. yatabeanum
Name authority R. Brown: in W. Aiton and W. T. Aiton, Hortus Kew. 5: 222. (1813)
Web links