Pink Lady\'s Slipper
Cypripedium acaule

f4 @ 1/3200s, ISO:1250, Nikon D3S w 60mm micro


\"Pink Lady\'s Slipper,\" Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Cypripedium acaule is a member of the orchid genus Cypripedium. Members of this genus are commonly referred to as lady\'s slipper orchids. First described in 1789 by Scottish botanist William Aiton, C. acaule is commonly referred to as the pink lady\'s slipper, stemless lady\'s-slipper, or moccasin flower. The pink lady\'s slipper is the provincial flower of Prince Edward Island, Canada. Unlike most other members of \"Cypripedium\", the pouch of C. acaule opens in a slit that runs down the front of the labellum rather than a round opening. The plant consists of two plicate leaves near the ground. From between those leaves sprouts a long, pubescent stalk that bears a single pink flower. The sepals and petals tend to be yellowish-brown to maroon with a large pouch that is usually some shade of pink but can be nearly magenta. The white pouched-green petaled forma alba can occasionally be found mixed in with normal populations.
Long Pond, Falmouth, Massachusetts
 
05/21/2015