Cypripedium acaule Aiton

Plants erect, 15–61 cm; stems leafless scapes. Leaves 2, radical, arising directly from rhizome, ascending to spreading; blade broadly elliptic to oblong-, ovate-, or obovate-elliptic, 9–30 × 2.5–15 cm. Flowers solitary; sepals reddish brown to green; dorsal sepal lanceolate to lance-ovate or elliptic, 19–52 × 5–22 mm; lateral sepals connate, synsepal 17–49 × 6–25 mm; petals deflexed to somewhat spreading, somewhat spirally twisted, same color as sepals, linear-to ovate-lanceolate, 24–60 × 4–17 mm; lip magenta to white, obovoid to oblance-ovoid, 30–67 mm, orifice a longitudinal fissure, length of lip; staminode quadrangular to suborbicular-rhomboid or ovoid-deltoid. 2n = 20.

Usually found in the higher and dryer parts of coniferous woods, often in a thin layer of pine needles over rocks, it is also sometimes found in bogs and wet places.

Can be grown by divisions or seedlings.