Jim Fowler's photos with the keyword: Cypripedium

View Large size or Original size for more detail. Yesterday, Walter and I conducted a botanizing trip with three gentlemen (I use that term loosely) from Georgia. One of them was my flickr friend, Alan Cressler. The other two, Steve Bowling and Max Medley, are friends of Alan, and were welcomed by us to visit some of our favorite natural sites in the upstate of South Carolina. One of the places we visited was a Heritage Preserve where, in previous years, I had seen Cypripedium acaule (Pink lady's-slipper orchid) bloom. This year, they were three weeks early in their blooming! Just try to tell me that climate change is a myth. Anyway, I was fortunate enough to witness the pollination of this wonderful slipper orchid. The process is rather straight forward: 1. A pollinator (in this case a bumble bee) enters the flower through a natural, vertical slit in the front of the slipper (pouch). 2. Quickly finding out that there is no nectar reward, the bee attempts to escape. 3. But the only way is out is up the back of the pouch and through one of two tiny openings at the top. 4. As the bee manages to squeeze out of the opening (and it is a struggle), its back is first forced to brush against the stigma inside the pouch, but since pollen has not yet been deposited on the bee's back, fertilization does not take place. As it progresses further up the opening its back is forced against one of the two waxy caps which hold the pollen. There is one on each side of the top of the pouch. Through this process, pollen is deposited on the bee's back. 5. Once the bee finally manages to escape, it will soon visit another orchid flower, and it will go through the process again, but this time, it will brush against and deposit the pollen on the stigma -- thus completing the pollination process... What an ingenious way for the orchid to work with a pollinator to accomplish reproduction!

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.

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.

(That's my chubby index finger for scale...) 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.