Cypripedium parviflorum Salisb.
Lesser yellow lady's slipper, Yellow lady's-slipper orchid
Orchidaceae (Orchid Family)
USDA Symbol: CYPA19
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.
From the Image Gallery
Bloom InformationBloom Color: Yellow , Green , Brown
Bloom Time: Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug
DistributionUSA: 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
Growing ConditionsLight Requirement: Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Moist , Wet
BenefitUse 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
National Wetland Indicator Status
From the National Organizations DirectoryAccording to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:
Mt. Cuba Center - Hockessin, DE
BibliographyBibref 248 - Texas Wildflowers: A Field Guide (1984) Loughmiller, C. & L. Loughmiller
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Additional resourcesUSDA: Find Cypripedium parviflorum in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Cypripedium parviflorum in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Cypripedium parviflorum
MetadataRecord Modified: 2007-08-09
Research By: TWC Staff