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Cypripedium parviflorum (Lesser yellow lady's slipper)
McAdoo, David R.

Cypripedium parviflorum Salisb.

Lesser yellow lady's slipper, Yellow lady’s-slipper orchid

Orchidaceae (Orchid Family)

Synonyms: Cypripedium calceolus

USDA Symbol: CYPA19

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

This orchid is easily distinguished from others by its large yellow lip, or slipper. It grows up to 2 feet tall and has large, strongly veined leaves 6–8 inches long and half as wide. It has a flower, sometimes 2, at the end of the stem, cream-colored to golden-yellow. Flowers have 3 sepals, greenish-yellow to brownish-purple, the upper sepal larger, usually erect, and hanging over the blossom. The upper sepal is 1 1/4–3 1/2 inches long, the lower 2 sepals are united and appear as 1 beneath the lip. There are 3 petals. The 2 lateral petals are long and narrow, purplish-brown to greenish-yellow, and spirally twisted–the shoestrings to the slipper. The lip, or slipper, is creamy or yellow, and about 2 1/2 inches long, and cupped to form the slipper shape. The stamens and pistil hang down toward the opening of the slipper.

 

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Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Flower:
Fruit:

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Yellow , Green , Brown
Bloom Time: Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug

Distribution

USA: AK , AL , AR , CO , CT , DC , GA , IA , IL , IN , KS , KY , MA , MD , MI , MN , MO , MT , NC , ND , NE , NJ , NY , OH , OR , PA , RI , SD , TN , UT , VA , VT , WA , WI , WV , WY
Canada: NB , NL , NS , ON , PE , QC
USDA Native Status: L48(N), AK(N), CAN(N), SPM(N)

Growing Conditions

Light Requirement: Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Moist , Wet

Benefit

Use Medicinal: First Nations made a preparation from the roots that was drunk as a treatment for worms(Niering).
Warning: POISONOUS PARTS: Glandular, irritating hairs on leaves. Symptoms include skin irritation after contact.
Conspicuous Flowers: yes

Bibliography

Bibref 248 - Texas Wildflowers: A Field Guide (1984) Loughmiller, C. & L. Loughmiller

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Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

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Additional resources

USDA: Find Cypripedium parviflorum in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Cypripedium parviflorum in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Cypripedium parviflorum

Metadata

Record Modified: 2007-08-09
Research By: TWC Staff

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