Cypripedium arietinum R.Br.

Ram's head lady's slipper (en), Cypripède tête-de-bélier (fr)

Species

Angiosperms > Asparagales > Orchidaceae > Cypripedium

Characteristics

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.
More
Stem slender, 1–4 dm, thinly hairy, with 2–3 sheathing scales below and 3–5 sessile lvs above the middle; lf-blades lanceolate to elliptic, often folded, 5–10 cm, finely ciliate, otherwise glabrous; fl solitary; sep and lateral pet 1.5–2.5 cm, greenish-brown, the upper sep lanceolate, the lower 2 sep separate, linear, the lateral pet lance-linear; lip whitish, strongly red-veined, 1.5–2.5 cm, prolonged downward to form a conical pouch. Moist, usually acid soils in coniferous woods; Que. to Man., s. to Mass., N.Y., Mich. and Minn. May, June.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 0.1 - 0.35
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

Light 4-6
Soil humidity 5-7
Soil texture -
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 4-7

Usage

Uses medicinal
Edible -
Therapeutic use Analgesic (unspecified), Gastrointestinal Aid (unspecified)
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Mode -
Germination duration (days) 30 - 365
Germination temperacture (C°) 18 - 21
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Cypripedium arietinum unspecified picture

Distribution

Cypripedium arietinum world distribution map, present in Canada, Micronesia (Federated States of), Malaysia, and United States of America

Conservation status

Cypripedium arietinum threat status: Near Threatened

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:75337-2
WFO ID wfo-0000935154
COL ID 33J3Y
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR) Link

Synonyms

Cypripedium arietinum f. biflorum Cypripedium arietinum Criosanthes arietina Criosanthes borealis Cypripedium arietinum f. arietinum Cypripedium arietinum f. albiflorum Arietinum americanum