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Species Image Gallery (opens in a new window) |
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| THE ORCHID FAMILY | |||||||||
| The orchid family is easily recognizable
because of the unique structures of the flower. There are usually three
sepals and three petals, similar to other petaloid monocots; however, the
sepals often look like the two side petals. The middle petal is called the
labellum or lip and is usually highly modified. The lip can be pouch-like,
have appendages or be coloured differently than the rest of the perianth.
The stamens, style, and stigma are fused together to form the column. There
is usually one functional anther with two pollen sacs that contain masses
of pollen called pollinia. The stigma is usually a sticky surface at the
tip or beak of the column. The ovary is long and can be seen below the sepals
and petals. Orchid flowers can be very bright and large, which makes them popular ornamental plants. This family is well represented in the tropics. Saskatchewan has several orchid species, most of which are quite small. |
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| RAM'S HEAD LADYSLIPPER | |||||||||
| LATIN NAME: Cypripedium arietinum | |||||||||
| WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? | |||||||||
| Ram’s-head ladyslipper has an erect, leafy stem. There are usually three or four leaves inserted along the middle of the stem. The leaves are 5 to 10 cm long. The flowers are usually solitary at the top of the stem. The sepals are green with reddish brown markings. The two side sepals are completely separate. The petals are twisted and are also green with reddish-brown markings. The lip is white with a green tip and a reddish network of veins. | |||||||||
| WHERE DOES IT GROW? | |||||||||
| Ram’s-head lady-slipper prefers pine woods. | |||||||||
| WHERE IS IT FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN? | |||||||||
| This plant is found in east-central Saskatchewan in the Boreal Transition ecoregion. | |||||||||
| WHY IS IT RARE? | |||||||||
| Ram’s-head ladyslipper is endangered in Saskatchewan because it is rare and is restricted to a small region of the province. Most local populations are small. In addition, immediate or probable threats have been identified for this species, including collection for gardens. | |||||||||
| HOW TO IDENTIFY RAM’S-HEAD LADYSLIPPER | |||||||||
| * Are the sepals and petals green with reddish
brown markings? * Is the lip white with green at the tip? * Are there three or four stem leaves? * Did you find in east-central Saskatchewan? |
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| If you answered yes to all of these questions, you may have found Ram’s-head ladyslipper! | |||||||||
