Cypripedium species

This area is a wonderful river walk in western Alberta, Canada. We saw orchids, other wildflowers, and one carnivorous plant species on the field trip associated with the Native Orchid Conference symposium. One of the orchids we saw is Cypripedium passerinum (Sparrow's egg lady's-slipper orchid). The first place we stopped had orchids in bud, but not open. This river trail showed us only closed orchid buds, but after we waited a couple of hours (plenty of other things to see), the flowers were finally open. This was a new species for me to photograph, so I was excited to finally see the flower open. The flower is quite small, but up close, it is quite beautiful with a pure white lip and petals and reddish purple spots just inside the opening of the lip. It does not reach the lower lattitutes of most of the U.S. but can be found in a few of the northernmost states.

This area is a wonderful river walk in western Alberta, Canada. We saw orchids, other wildflowers, and one carnivorous plant species on the field trip associated with the Native Orchid Conference symposium. One of the orchids we saw is Cypripedium passerinum (Sparrow's egg lady's-slipper orchid). The first place we stopped had orchids in bud, but not open. This river trail showed us only closed orchid buds, but after we waited a couple of hours (plenty of other things to see), the flowers were finally open. This was a new species for me to photograph, so I was excited to finally see the flower open. The flower is quite small, but up close, it is quite beautiful with a pure white lip and petals and reddish purple spots just inside the opening of the lip. It does not reach the lower lattitutes of most of the U.S. but can be found in a few of the northernmost states.

On the final day of field trips at the 2010 annual Native Orchid Conference symposium, we had an alternate field trip site at the Baker Creek Rest Area in British Columbia on the Trans-Canada Highway, west of Jasper Provential Park. This is a very good area for these particular lady's-slipper orchids, because there are hundreds of them growing just next to the road. The strange thing about these orchids is that they all appear to be hybrid crosses between Cypripedium montanum and Cypripedium parviflorum without either pure parent orchid being present -- at least none that we could see. Normally, Cyp. montanum has a white lip and dark reddish brown sepals and petals. Cyp. parviflorum has a yellow lip and brownish green sepals and petals. Although we found a few plants with dark sepals and petals, none of them seemed to rise to the level of being the true Cyp. montanum species. So this is a true puzzlement. In any case, the flowers were beautiful and plentiful, and provided us with many photographic opportunities.

On the final day of field trips at the 2010 annual Native Orchid Conference symposium, we had an alternate field trip site at the Baker Creek Rest Area in British Columbia on the Trans-Canada Highway, west of Jasper Provential Park. This is a very good area for these particular lady's-slipper orchids, because there are hundreds of them growing just next to the road. The strange thing about these orchids is that they all appear to be hybrid crosses between Cypripedium montanum and Cypripedium parviflorum without either pure parent orchid being present -- at least none that we could see. Normally, Cyp. montanum has a white lip and dark reddish brown sepals and petals. Cyp. parviflorum has a yellow lip and brownish green sepals and petals. Although we found a few plants with dark sepals and petals, none of them seemed to rise to the level of being the true Cyp. montanum species. So this is a true puzzlement. In any case, the flowers were beautiful and plentiful, and provided us with many photographic opportunities.

On the final day of field trips at the 2010 annual Native Orchid Conference symposium, we had an alternate field trip site at the Baker Creek Rest Area in British Columbia on the Trans-Canada Highway, west of Jasper Provential Park. This is a very good area for these particular lady's-slipper orchids, because there are hundreds of them growing just next to the road. The strange thing about these orchids is that they all appear to be hybrid crosses between Cypripedium montanum and Cypripedium parviflorum without either pure parent orchid being present -- at least none that we could see. Normally, Cyp. montanum has a white lip and dark reddish brown sepals and petals. Cyp. parviflorum has a yellow lip and brownish green sepals and petals. Although we found a few plants with dark sepals and petals, none of them seemed to rise to the level of being the true Cyp. montanum species. So this is a true puzzlement. In any case, the flowers were beautiful and plentiful, and provided us with many photographic opportunities.

On the final day of field trips at the 2010 annual Native Orchid Conference symposium, we had an alternate field trip site at the Baker Creek Rest Area in British Columbia on the Trans-Canada Highway, west of Jasper Provential Park. This is a very good area for these particular lady's-slipper orchids, because there are hundreds of them growing just next to the road. The strange thing about these orchids is that they all appear to be hybrid crosses between Cypripedium montanum and Cypripedium parviflorum without either pure parent orchid being present -- at least none that we could see. Normally, Cyp. montanum has a white lip and dark reddish brown sepals and petals. Cyp. parviflorum has a yellow lip and brownish green sepals and petals. Although we found a few plants with dark sepals and petals, none of them seemed to rise to the level of being the true Cyp. montanum species. So this is a true puzzlement. In any case, the flowers were beautiful and plentiful, and provided us with many photographic opportunities.

On the final day of field trips at the 2010 annual Native Orchid Conference symposium, we had an alternate field trip site at the Baker Creek Rest Area in British Columbia on the Trans-Canada Highway, west of Jasper Provential Park. This is a very good area for these particular lady's-slipper orchids, because there are hundreds of them growing just next to the road. The strange thing about these orchids is that they all appear to be hybrid crosses between Cypripedium montanum and Cypripedium parviflorum without either pure parent orchid being present -- at least none that we could see. Normally, Cyp. montanum has a white lip and dark reddish brown sepals and petals. Cyp. parviflorum has a yellow lip and brownish green sepals and petals. Although we found a few plants with dark sepals and petals, none of them seemed to rise to the level of being the true Cyp. montanum species. So this is a true puzzlement. In any case, the flowers were beautiful and plentiful, and provided us with many photographic opportunities.

On the final day of field trips at the 2010 annual Native Orchid Conference symposium, we had an alternate field trip site at the Baker Creek Rest Area in British Columbia on the Trans-Canada Highway, west of Jasper Provential Park. This is a very good area for these particular lady's-slipper orchids, because there are hundreds of them growing just next to the road. The strange thing about these orchids is that they all appear to be hybrid crosses between Cypripedium montanum and Cypripedium parviflorum without either pure parent orchid being present -- at least none that we could see. Normally, Cyp. montanum has a white lip and dark reddish brown sepals and petals. Cyp. parviflorum has a yellow lip and brownish green sepals and petals. Although we found a few plants with dark sepals and petals, none of them seemed to rise to the level of being the true Cyp. montanum species. So this is a true puzzlement. In any case, the flowers were beautiful and plentiful, and provided us with many photographic opportunities.

On the final day of field trips at the 2010 annual Native Orchid Conference symposium, we had an alternate field trip site at the Baker Creek Rest Area in British Columbia on the Trans-Canada Highway, west of Jasper Provential Park. This is a very good area for these particular lady's-slipper orchids, because there are hundreds of them growing just next to the road. The strange thing about these orchids is that they all appear to be hybrid crosses between Cypripedium montanum and Cypripedium parviflorum without either pure parent orchid being present -- at least none that we could see. Normally, Cyp. montanum has a white lip and dark reddish brown sepals and petals. Cyp. parviflorum has a yellow lip and brownish green sepals and petals. Although we found a few plants with dark sepals and petals, none of them seemed to rise to the level of being the true Cyp. montanum species. So this is a true puzzlement. In any case, the flowers were beautiful and plentiful, and provided us with many photographic opportunities.

On the final day of field trips at the 2010 annual Native Orchid Conference symposium, we had an alternate field trip site at the Baker Creek Rest Area in British Columbia on the Trans-Canada Highway, west of Jasper Provential Park. This is a very good area for these particular lady's-slipper orchids, because there are hundreds of them growing just next to the road. The strange thing about these orchids is that they all appear to be hybrid crosses between Cypripedium montanum and Cypripedium parviflorum without either pure parent orchid being present -- at least none that we could see. Normally, Cyp. montanum has a white lip and dark reddish brown sepals and petals. Cyp. parviflorum has a yellow lip and brownish green sepals and petals. Although we found a few plants with dark sepals and petals, none of them seemed to rise to the level of being the true Cyp. montanum species. So this is a true puzzlement. In any case, the flowers were beautiful and plentiful, and provided us with many photographic opportunities.

On the final day of field trips at the 2010 annual Native Orchid Conference symposium, we had an alternate field trip site at the Baker Creek Rest Area in British Columbia on the Trans-Canada Highway, west of Jasper Provential Park. This is a very good area for these particular lady's-slipper orchids, because there are hundreds of them growing just next to the road. The strange thing about these orchids is that they all appear to be hybrid crosses between Cypripedium montanum and Cypripedium parviflorum without either pure parent orchid being present -- at least none that we could see. Normally, Cyp. montanum has a white lip and dark reddish brown sepals and petals. Cyp. parviflorum has a yellow lip and brownish green sepals and petals. Although we found a few plants with dark sepals and petals, none of them seemed to rise to the level of being the true Cyp. montanum species. So this is a true puzzlement. In any case, the flowers were beautiful and plentiful, and provided us with many photographic opportunities.

On the final day of field trips at the 2010 annual Native Orchid Conference symposium, we had an alternate field trip site at the Baker Creek Rest Area in British Columbia on the Trans-Canada Highway, west of Jasper Provential Park. This is a very good area for these particular lady's-slipper orchids, because there are hundreds of them growing just next to the road. The strange thing about these orchids is that they all appear to be hybrid crosses between Cypripedium montanum and Cypripedium parviflorum without either pure parent orchid being present -- at least none that we could see. Normally, Cyp. montanum has a white lip and dark reddish brown sepals and petals. Cyp. parviflorum has a yellow lip and brownish green sepals and petals. Although we found a few plants with dark sepals and petals, none of them seemed to rise to the level of being the true Cyp. montanum species. So this is a true puzzlement. In any case, the flowers were beautiful and plentiful, and provided us with many photographic opportunities.

On the final day of field trips at the 2010 annual Native Orchid Conference symposium, we had an alternate field trip site at the Baker Creek Rest Area in British Columbia on the Trans-Canada Highway, west of Jasper Provential Park. This is a very good area for these particular lady's-slipper orchids, because there are hundreds of them growing just next to the road. The strange thing about these orchids is that they all appear to be hybrid crosses between Cypripedium montanum and Cypripedium parviflorum without either pure parent orchid being present -- at least none that we could see. Normally, Cyp. montanum has a white lip and dark reddish brown sepals and petals. Cyp. parviflorum has a yellow lip and brownish green sepals and petals. Although we found a few plants with dark sepals and petals, none of them seemed to rise to the level of being the true Cyp. montanum species. So this is a true puzzlement. In any case, the flowers were beautiful and plentiful, and provided us with many photographic opportunities.

On the final day of field trips at the 2010 annual Native Orchid Conference symposium, we had an alternate field trip site at the Baker Creek Rest Area in British Columbia on the Trans-Canada Highway, west of Jasper Provential Park. This is a very good area for these particular lady's-slipper orchids, because there are hundreds of them growing just next to the road. The strange thing about these orchids is that they all appear to be hybrid crosses between Cypripedium montanum and Cypripedium parviflorum without either pure parent orchid being present -- at least none that we could see. Normally, Cyp. montanum has a white lip and dark reddish brown sepals and petals. Cyp. parviflorum has a yellow lip and brownish green sepals and petals. Although we found a few plants with dark sepals and petals, none of them seemed to rise to the level of being the true Cyp. montanum species. So this is a true puzzlement. In any case, the flowers were beautiful and plentiful, and provided us with many photographic opportunities.

On the final day of field trips at the 2010 annual Native Orchid Conference symposium, we had an alternate field trip site at the Baker Creek Rest Area in British Columbia on the Trans-Canada Highway, west of Jasper Provential Park. This is a very good area for these particular lady's-slipper orchids, because there are hundreds of them growing just next to the road. The strange thing about these orchids is that they all appear to be hybrid crosses between Cypripedium montanum and Cypripedium parviflorum without either pure parent orchid being present -- at least none that we could see. Normally, Cyp. montanum has a white lip and dark reddish brown sepals and petals. Cyp. parviflorum has a yellow lip and brownish green sepals and petals. Although we found a few plants with dark sepals and petals, none of them seemed to rise to the level of being the true Cyp. montanum species. So this is a true puzzlement. In any case, the flowers were beautiful and plentiful, and provided us with many photographic opportunities.

On the final day of field trips at the 2010 annual Native Orchid Conference symposium, we had an alternate field trip site at the Baker Creek Rest Area in British Columbia on the Trans-Canada Highway, west of Jasper Provential Park. This is a very good area for these particular lady's-slipper orchids, because there are hundreds of them growing just next to the road. The strange thing about these orchids is that they all appear to be hybrid crosses between Cypripedium montanum and Cypripedium parviflorum without either pure parent orchid being present -- at least none that we could see. Normally, Cyp. montanum has a white lip and dark reddish brown sepals and petals. Cyp. parviflorum has a yellow lip and brownish green sepals and petals. Although we found a few plants with dark sepals and petals, none of them seemed to rise to the level of being the true Cyp. montanum species. So this is a true puzzlement. In any case, the flowers were beautiful and plentiful, and provided us with many photographic opportunities.

These are a few more shots from my trip to the upper part of the county a few days ago. In another Heritage Preserve in the upper part of the county, there are several populations of Cypripedium acaule or Pink Lady's-slipper Orchid. They will be in full bloom in about ten days. I would not have photographed these buds except that I thought they were stylish... Note that all parts of the plant (including the flower) are covered with tiny hairs...

These are a few more shots from my trip to the upper part of the county a few days ago. In another Heritage Preserve in the upper part of the county, there are several populations of Cypripedium acaule or Pink Lady's-slipper Orchid. They will be in full bloom in about ten days. I would not have photographed these buds except that I thought they were stylish... Note that all parts of the plant (including the flower) are covered with tiny hairs...