Cypripedium reginae Walt.
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TAXONOMY
 
Family: Orchidaceae
Genus: Cypripedium
 
Species Synonyms: none
Common Names: showy lady’s-slipper
 
DISTRIBUTION
 
Canada: east-central Saskatchewan – Manitoba – west and southern Ontario – eastern Quebec – Newfoundland – Nova Scotia
Saskatchewan: east-central Saskatchewan
Ecoregion: Aspen Parkland
 
HABITAT
 
Saskatchewan: moist woods
Canada: calcareous swamps, bogs, moist woods, and shores
 
RARITY STATUS
 
Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):
Endangered
Nature Conservancy Status:
G5 S1
Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:
None
COSEWIC Status:
None
 
Cypripedium reginae is endangered because of rarity in Saskatchewan. It is highly regionally restricted in the province and is almost always locally sparse. Immediate or probable threats have been identified.
 
SPECIES DESCRIPTION
 
Height: 20 – 80 cm
Roots: rhizomes large
Stems: leafy, erect, densely pubescent
Leaves: cauline, alternate, ascending to spreading, 3 – 9, along the length of stem, 10 – 25 cm long, 0.6 – 1.5 cm wide, elliptic to ovate, plicate, ribbed, densely pubescent
Inflorescence: flowers 1 – 3, short-pedicellate; bracts 6 – 12 cm long, lanceolate to elliptic
Flowers: calyx white, dorsal sepal elliptic to suborbicular, lateral sepals connate and the product slightly smaller than the dorsal sepal; corolla 2.5 – 4 cm long, 0.5 – 1.5 cm wide, flat, white; labellum 2.5 – 3.5 cm wide, rounded, white, with pale pink to crimson around orifice and sometimes extending to cover most of labellum; staminode stout-stalked, 1 – 2 cm long, ovate, white with rose, pink, or yellow spots
Fruits: capsule
Other: pubescence on the leaves and stems sometimes irritating to the skin
 
CYPRIPEDIUM KEY FOR SPECIES FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN
 
1 Leaves 2, basal or sub-basal
C. acaule
1 Leaves at least 3, cauline
2
   
2 Lateral sepals distinct; labellum irregularly triangular
C. arietinum
2 Lateral sepals at least partially connate; labellum rounded
3
   
3 Labellum yellow
4
3 Labellum white or pink, but with coloured veins
6
 
4 Sepals oval; labellum 1 – 2 cm long
C. passerinum
4 Sepals lanceolate; labellum 2 – 5 cm long
5
 
5 Abaxial surface of distal sheathing bract sparsely pubescent; labellum 2 – 3 cm long; strongly sweet scented
C. parviflorum var. makasin
5 Abaxial surface of distal sheathing bract silvery pubescent; labellum 2 – 5 cm long; musty to rose scented
C. parviflorum var. pubescens
 
6 Calyx and corolla white; corolla flat; lip white or pinkish
C. reginae
6 Calyx greenish to brown or purple, corolla white to brown-purple or greenish and twisted; lip white or ivory
C. candidum