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Ladys-slipper (Cypripedium calceolus) profile

Written by Maggie

Mar 03 2021

Ladys-slipper (Cypripedium calceolus) profile

The Lady's-slipper plant, scientific name Cypripedium calceolus, is 20-45 cm tall and has a stout rhizome.  Lady's-slipper stems are erect, glandular hairy, with several sheaths at base, 3-4 leaves near middle above. Leaf blade is elliptic or ovate-elliptic, less ovate-lanceolate. Inflorescences are terminal, usually with 1-2 flowers; Flowers are with maroon or purplish sepals and petals, but labellum yellow; Petals of  Lady's-slipper are linear or linear-lanceolate, 3 -- 5 cm long, 4 -- 6 mm wide, torsion, inner surface pubescent at base and abaxially veined; Lower sepal is deep saccate, elliptic. 

Lady's- Slipper is born under forests, on the edge of forests, in shrubs or on grasslands between forests at an altitude of 500-1000 m.  

Lady's-slipper picture

Lady's-slipper picture

Morphological characteristics of the lady's- slipper

Stems

The Lady's-slipper plant is 20-45 cm tall and has a stout rhizome. Stems are erect, glandular hairy, with several sheaths at base, 3-4 leaves near middle above.

Leaf

Leaf blade of lady's- slipper is elliptic or ovate-elliptic, less ovate-lanceolate, 7 -- 16 cm long, 4 -- 7 cm wide, apex acute or shortly acuminate, abaxially sparsely pubescent, hairs more on veins and near base, margin ciliate.

Flowers

Inflorescences terminal Lady's-slipper, usually with 1-2 flowers; Bracts are leaf-shaped, elliptic-lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, 4 -- 6 (-10) cm long, 1.5 -- 4 cm wide; Pedicels and ovaries ca. are 3 cm long, with short glandular hairs; Flowers with maroon or purplish sepals and petals, but labellum yellow; Middle sepals of lady's- slipper are ovate or ovate-lanceolate, 2.5 -- 5 cm long, 8 -- 15 mm wide, apex acuminate or caudate acuminate, midvein sparsely pubescent abaxially; Compound sepals are similar to middle sepals, apex 2-lobed.

Petals

Petals of lady's- slipper are linear or linear-lanceolate, 3 -- 5 cm long, 4 -- 6 mm wide, tortuous, inner surface pubescent on base and abaxial vein; Lower sepal is deeply saccate, elliptic, 3 -- 4 cm long, 2 -- 3 cm wide, base hirsute, extracystic glabrous;Inner fold lateral lobes 3-4 mm wide; Stamens of lady's- slipper are sub oblong-elliptic, 7 -- 10 mm long, 5 -- 7 mm wide, apex obtuse, base with a stipe ca. 1 mm long, and below with a keel-like projection.

The ecology of the lady's- slipper

Lady's- Slipper prefers cool, humid, semi-cloudy summer conditions and thrives on fertile, loose sandy loam soils.

Lady's- Slipper likes moisture. Watering should be done once or twice a day during the growing period to fully moisten the soil and the water moss on the surface of the basin to keep it moist and cool. Shading of about 50%~60%, otherwise overshading will make the lady's- slipper grow weak. Fertilizer should be applied about once a month during the growth period and should be diluted 1000 times or more before application, otherwise the concentrated fertilizer will damage the plant and lead to rot and death of the roots.

The Lady's- Slipper growing methods

The potted Lady's-slipper is mainly taken from the wild and planted in pots in early spring with its rooted underground rhizoma until it blossoms.

Lady's- Slipper is a kind of orchid that likes cold and is afraid of heat.

In order to meet the requirements of ventilation and ventilation, it is better to use the plain burning basin. The plastic basin and the colored glaze basin are not suitable for cultivating the Lady's- Slipper basin because of the poor air permeability. The soil aspect had better be taken from the original place, can also be used with 0.5 coarse sand, 1 humus soil, 0.5 perlite and peat soil 1 preparation of the culture soil.

Beside the basin before you will sprout on the old old leaves first cut off, and remove the root of black rot, and then will take root of plant all flat on paved the subsoil, about a quarter of the surface will be formed to fill in the basin, evenly until all roots buried, only highlight new bud, the last in the saturated water white moss covered surface, completed after water flooding. 

The Lady's Slipper's daily management is concerned with the temperature, which is usually 10-20 °C. Once the temperature exceeds 25°C, it is necessary to try to cool it down, otherwise it will easily die of heat.

Therefore, if cultivation is to be carried out in most parts of southern or northern China, it is impossible to succeed in cultivation, let alone blossom, unless there is a cooling air-conditioned greenhouse in summer. 

Lady's- Slipper likes moisture. Watering should be done once or twice a day during the growing period to fully moisten the soil and the water moss on the surface of the basin to keep it moist and cool.Shading of about 50%~60%, otherwise overshading will make the plant grow weak. Fertilizer should be applied about once a month during the growth period and should be diluted 1000 times or more before application, otherwise the concentrated fertilizer will damage the plant and lead to rot and death of the roots.

​​​​​​​Lady's-slipper picture

The Lady's- Slipper way of propagation

The Lady's- Slipper propagation mostly adopts the division method, can also be used for tissue culture culture seedlings. Artificial cultivation should choose leeward and sunny microclimate. Cultivation with soil generally chooses peat soil, fine sand, according to the ratio of 2 to 1 mixed.

Lady's- Slipper species classification

(1) Yunnan Lady's-slipper(C. Yunnanense), from northwest Yunnan, west to southwest Sichuan.

(2) Lady's-slipper of Mao (C. Franchetii), produced in the northeast to northwest of Sichuan, the west of Hubei, the west of Henan, the south of Shanxi, the south of Shaanxi, the south of Gansu, the east to the south of Qinghai and Ningxia.

(3) Lady's-slipper(C. fasciolatum) from the northeast to the southwest of Sichuan and the west of Hubei.

(4) Lady's-slipper(C. flavum), produced in southeast Xizang, northwest Yunnan, west Sichuan and Hubei, south Gansu, northeast Qinghai and Ningxia.

(5) Lady's-slipper(C. henryi), grown in northwest Yunnan, west Sichuan and Hubei, south Shanxi, south Shaanxi and south Gansu.

(6) Huaxi Lady's- Slipper (C. Farreri), native to northwest Yunnan, west Sichuan and south Gansu.

(7) Balang Lady's- Slipper (C. Palangshanense), from the northwest to the southwest of Sichuan Province.

(8) Lijiang Lady's-slipper(C. lichiangense), native to northwest Yunnan and southwest Sichuan.

(9) Lady's-slipper(C. fargesii), from NE to W Sichuan, W Hubei and S Gansu.

(10) Lady's-slipper(C. margaritaceum), native to NW Yunnan and SW Sichuan.

(11) Lady's-slipper(C. bardolphianum), native to southeast Xizang, northwest Yunnan, west Sichuan and south Gansu.

(12) Lady's-slipper(C. japonicum), from Sichuan, Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Anhui, southern Shaanxi and southern Gansu;So does Japan.

(13)Lady's-slipper(C. calceolus) from Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning and the northeast of Inner Mongolia;They are found in Japan, the Korean Peninsula, Siberia and Europe.

(14) Shanxi Lady's-slipper(C. Shanxiense), born in northwest Sichuan, east Qinghai, south Gansu, west Shanxi, west Hebei and south Inner Mongolia;Japan and Sakhalin Island in Russia also have them.

(15) Lady's- Slipper (C. Macranthum), from Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Inner Mongolia, East Qinghai, Hebei, Shandong and Taiwan;Japan, the Korean Peninsula and Russia also have them.

The Lady's- Slipper distribution area

Lady's-slipper is a species of the genus Lady's-slipper in the orchid family. Heilongjiang (Yichun Ridge), eastern Jilin, Liaoning and northeastern Inner Mongolia (Greater Khingan Ridge).Under forests, on forest margins, in shrubs or on forest grasslands at altitudes of 500-1000 m.It is also found in Japan, Korea, Siberia and Europe.

Originating in northern China, especially in Northeast (Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning), North China (Hebei, Shanxi, Beijing, Tianjin, [Henan, Shandong]) and Northwest (Shaanxi, Ningxia, Gansu, Qinghai, Xinjiang) widely distributed.

Lady's- slipper main value

Medicinal value

Lady's-slipper is a perennial herb belonging to the genus Lady's-slipper of orchid subfamily Lady's-slipper. The stem and leaves of the ground part can be used as medicine. It has the effect of dispelling wind, detoxifying and promoting blood circulation.

The lady's- slipper landscaping purposes

The Lady's Slipper is still in the wild and needs to be domesticated to make a family flower and potted for indoor use.

Ornamental value

Lady's-slipper is a very beautiful ornamental flower, it not only has a strange beauty of the gorgeous flowers, but also the leaf posture is quite elegant. Lady's-slipper is very cold resistant, suitable for cool areas of garden cultivation. There are abundant resources of Lady's-slipper in China, which can be found almost everywhere except some provinces in Southeast China and Xinjiang. They blossom and bear fruit quietly in the deep mountains, giving those climbers infinite surprise.

​​​​​​​Lady's-slipper picture​​​​​​​