Showy Lady'S Slipper

cypripedium reginae

The Showy Lady's Slipper, Cypripedium reginae, is an exquisite and iconic North American orchid, celebrated for its striking beauty and unique flower structure. It stands as a symbol of pristine wetlands and healthy forest ecosystems. This perennial herbaceous plant captivates observers with its vibrant pink and white blooms, making it one of the most recognized and admired native orchids. Its survival is intricately linked to specific habitat conditions and a delicate relationship with mycorrhizal fungi, highlighting the complex interdependencies within natural environments.

Lebensraum: Found in cool, moist, calcareous environments such as fens, swamps, wet meadows, and rich, deciduous woodlands, often growing in dappled sunlight or partial shade.

Aussehen

This elegant orchid features large, distinctive flowers, typically one to two, but sometimes up to four, atop a tall, leafy stem that can reach heights of 30 to 90 cm. The most prominent feature is the inflated, pouch-like lower petal, known as the labellum, which is brilliant magenta-pink, often streaked with darker veins. This "slipper" is bordered by two white, twisted lateral petals and a white dorsal sepal, creating a captivating contrast. The broad, pleated leaves are bright green and arranged alternately along the stem, covered in fine hairs.

ReichPlantaeStammTracheophytaKlasseLiliopsidaOrdnungAsparagalesFamilieOrchidaceaeGattungCypripedium

Showy Lady'S Slipper

Kategorie

Pflanzen

Seltenheit

Common

Gefahr

1/5 · Sehr gering

Snaps

Mach den ersten Snap!

Interessante Fakten

It is the official state flower of Minnesota.

It's illegal to pick or transplant wild Showy Lady's Slippers in many regions due to their protected status and low success rate of transplantation.

The fine hairs covering the plant can cause skin irritation similar to poison ivy for some individuals.

Unlike most orchids, its seeds lack an endosperm, meaning they have no internal food supply and rely entirely on fungi to provide nutrients for germination.

Besondere Fähigkeiten

The slipper-shaped labellum acts as a trap for specific bees. Once inside, the bee must navigate a path that forces it to rub against the stigma to deposit any pollen, and and then past the anthers to pick up new pollen before escaping, ensuring cross-pollination.

Its seeds are extremely tiny and lack endosperm. For germination and early development, they depend entirely on a symbiotic relationship with specific soil fungi (mycorrhizae) that provide essential nutrients.

Individual plants can live for many decades, even over 50 years, forming large colonies from underground rhizomes, making them a persistent presence in suitable habitats.

Maße und Details

Länge: 30-90 cm
Gewicht: 0.05-0.3 kg
Lebenserwartung: 20-50 Jahre
Gelegegröße: 50000-200000

Ernährung und Fütterung

As a photosynthetic plant, the Showy Lady's Slipper produces its own food through photosynthesis, converting sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water into sugars. It absorbs essential minerals and water from the soil through its root system, often aided by mycorrhizal fungi.

Hauptnahrung

Sunlight
Carbon Dioxide
Water
Nitrogen
Phosphorus
Potassium

Nahrungssuche

Absorption

Ökologische Zusammenhänge

mutualism

Mycorrhizal Fungi

Various fungal species

Essential for seed germination and early growth by providing nutrients.

mutualism

Solitary Bees

Andrena spp.

Primary pollinators; they are briefly trapped in the labellum, facilitating pollen transfer.

herbivore

White-tailed Deer

Odocoileus virginianus

Can graze on leaves or flowers, but plants are generally not a primary food source due to irritating hairs.

competitor

Cinnamon Fern

Osmundastrum cinnamomeum

Shares habitat and competes for resources like light and nutrients.

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Sicherheit

Gefahr

1/5 · Sehr gering

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Häufig gestellte Fragen

Wie identifiziert man Showy Lady'S Slipper?

Der einfachste Weg, Showy Lady'S Slipper zu bestimmen, ist die Verwendung der Naturführer-App Snappit.

Was ist der/die/das länge von Showy Lady'S Slipper?

30-90 cm

Was ist der/die/das gewicht von Showy Lady'S Slipper?

0.05-0.3 kg

Was ist der/die/das lebenserwartung von Showy Lady'S Slipper?

20-50 Jahre

Was frisst Showy Lady'S Slipper?

Wo findet man Showy Lady'S Slipper normalerweise?

Found in cool, moist, calcareous environments such as fens, swamps, wet meadows, and rich, deciduous woodlands, often growing in dappled sunlight or partial shade.

Wie jagt Showy Lady'S Slipper?

Absorption

Was ist der/die/das gelegegröße von Showy Lady'S Slipper?

50000-200000