Large lady's slipper facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Large lady's slipper |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Cypripedium
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| Species: |
montanum
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Cypripedium montanum is a beautiful type of orchid flower. It's often called the large lady's slipper, mountain lady's slipper, or white lady's slipper. Some people also call it moccasin flower, but that name is also used for another kind of orchid, Cypripedium acaule.
What it Looks Like
This plant can grow quite tall, up to about 70 centimeters (2.3 feet). Its stem has leaves that are arranged in a special way, folding like a fan. At the top of the stem, you'll find one to three big flowers.
The parts of the flower called sepals and petals are usually a maroon-brown color. The most noticeable part is the pouch, which is a bright white. This orchid is very similar to the Cypripedium parviflorum, but you can tell them apart by the color of their pouch.
Where it Grows
You can find Cypripedium montanum in the northwestern United States and western Canada. It grows in places like California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, and Alaska.
These orchids usually prefer to grow high up in the mountains. You'll often see them in open forests or on slopes just below the treeline. The famous explorer Meriwether Lewis even wrote about seeing this plant during his journey in western Montana, near a place called Lolo Creek.
