The divine queen of flowers is a lady's slipper. Detailed description of the lady's slipper

The lady's slipper is a perennial evergreen with leaves of green, dark green or grayish-marble color up to 30 cm long. Each rosette of leaves produces one peduncle up to 40 cm tall, which can be single-flowered or multi-flowered. The flowers are from 7 to 12 cm in diameter, with a wide variety of colors: from white, purple and yellow to brown and green, spotted or striped flowers are often found.

Legend of the Lady's Slipper

AT ancient Greek mythology There is a legend about the Venus slipper, more precisely about the shoes of Venus, which turned into a beautiful flower.

A thunderstorm caught Venus and Adonis during a hunt, they hid from the rain in a secluded quiet place and indulged in love joys. A person passing by did not notice Venus with her lover, but saw her slipper of pure gold thrown on the ground. And as soon as the commoner reached out his hand to pick up the shoe, it instantly turned into a flower resembling a shoe.

Venus slipper: plant species

The plant includes in its genus about 50 species distributed in North and South America, Europe and Asia, where in natural conditions they grow from the forest-tundra to the tropics.

Lady's slipper flower close-up on the picture.

Common types:

Lady's slipper stemless (Cypripedium acaule) - with a ground stem and two folded, oblong or broadly oval, lanceolate, greenish-purple leaves up to 20 cm long and up to 8 cm wide. Peduncle up to 35 cm tall with a large, fragrant flower. Highly decorative, blooms in late spring-early summer.

Ramhead (Cypripedium arietinum) - up to 30 cm tall with thin, weak stems. The leaves are alternate, elliptical or lanceolate, up to 10 cm long and up to 5 cm wide. Flowers apical, solitary, small. Blooms in late spring.

Californian (Cypripedium californicum) - the stem together with the flower is up to 80 cm tall, strong with 3-4 leaves. The leaves are alternate, oval, acute, up to 10 cm long. The inflorescence is a sparse raceme, consisting of 4-12 flowers, with leaf-shaped, round bracts. Flowers up to 4 cm in diameter on long stalks. Petals and sepals of the same length (up to 1.5 cm), yellowish-green. Blooms in late spring.

snow white (Cypripedium candida) - a plant with a short rhizome up to 30 cm tall. The lower part of the stem is covered with several scaly throats. Leaves (3-4 pieces) are lanceolate or elliptical, pointed or sharp, up to 12 cm long and up to 4 cm wide. The flowers are small, solitary, apical, up to 2 cm in diameter. Sepals are lanceolate, greenish, with purple spots. Flowering period late spring-early summer.

tufted (Cypripedium fasciculatum) - up to 40 cm tall with a woolly pubescent stem, two opposite, broadly oval leaves located in the middle of the stem up to 10 cm long and up to 6 cm wide. The inflorescence is straight, stable, has from 1 to 4 greenish flowers. Bracts lanceolate. Petals and sepals lanceolate, with brown veins, up to 2 cm long.

Real lady's slipper (Cypripedium calceolus L)

Perennial, rhizomatous, herbaceous plant orchid family, up to 50 cm tall. The real lady's slipper has a thick, short, creeping rhizome, consisting of two internodes, preserved from each annual growth. Adventitious roots winding and long, up to 30 cm. Stem with brownish cups at the base, with short glandular hairs along the entire length. The leaves are alternate, elliptical, pointed on 2 sides, slightly hairy along the edge, up to 18 cm long and up to 8 cm wide. Flowers are bisexual, zygomorphic, with large leaf-shaped bracts. The tepals are red-brown, the swollen lip is light yellow. Ovary inferior, glandular-pubescent. The fruit is a box.

Venus slipper large-flowered (Cypripedium macranthon)

It is a plant with a thick shortened rhizome and thin, winding thread-like roots. Stem up to 45 cm high with brownish shoes at the base, higher with 3-4 glandular-hairy sessile leaves, with stem-bearing bases, oval and pointed up to 15 cm long and up to 8 cm wide.

Flowers solitary with large leaf-like bracts. Perianth violet or lilac-pink with dark veins. The tepals are divergent. Lip up to 7 cm long, strongly swollen, with a small opening, the edges of which are wrapped inward, forming an expanded rim. Two stamens, the third turned white with purple-purple patches of staminodes up to 1.5 cm long. The tie is not twisted. The stigma is corymbose. Venus slipper large-flowered blooms in June-July.

Venus slipper spotted (Cypripedium guttatum) or speckled

A small plant with a creeping long rhizome. Stem 15 to 30 cm tall. The leaves are elliptical, pointed up to 12 cm long, hairy below along the veins and edge. Bracts ovate-lanceolate, leaf-shaped.

The upper outer tepal is pointed, elliptical-ovate, up to 3 cm long, white or with purple-pink spots. The lower one, densely fused from two leaves, is greenish, glandular-pubescent, up to 2 cm long. Lateral tepals are bare, white color with large purple-pink patches. Ovary spindle-shaped, densely and finely glandular-pubescent. Venus slipper blooms from late May to mid-June.

Growing orchids: lady's slipper

The flower is very rare and very difficult to propagate and grow. The whimsical flower loves shade and is unstable to winds, it must be covered and protected from pests such as snails or aphids. The lady's slipper prefers growing in a complex substrate consisting of sphagnum, bark, charcoal with the addition of chalk or dolomite flour. With room content, you can increase the proportion of sphagnum moss for greater moisture capacity. A coarser substrate is placed at the bottom, and closer to the surface, a moisture-intensive and fine one.

The roots of the plant develop horizontally, so you need or.

For normal growth and flowering, the flower must create the appropriate conditions:

• for heat-loving plant species, the air temperature during daylight hours should be in the range from +22 to +32°С, at night from +16 to +18°С, but not lower than +15°С;
• for species and varieties with plain leaves, the temperature during the day is from +16 to +22°C, at night from +8 to +10°C, but not lower than +6°C.
• not to allow even a short-term drop in temperature below + 5 ° C - leads to the death of the plant;
• it is necessary to provide bright lighting (not direct sunlight) of the flower for 12-14 hours a day.

Venus slipper: plant care

The flower does not have storage organs - regular, plentiful watering is required to keep the substrate in a constantly wet state. The water must be room temperature and should not be watered at the base of the stem, which can lead to rotting.

The lady's slipper requires regular care (1 time in 15-20 days) top dressing in the summer months with a weak solution of complex mineral fertilizer introduced with water during irrigation.

The flower propagates by dividing the bush during transplantation.

Transplantation is carried out as needed (usually 1 time in 1-3 years), while special care must be taken to exclude the possibility of damage to the roots, which can lead to disease or death of the plant.

The beauty of plants that nature itself has created is sometimes amazing - another confirmation of this is the lady's slipper (pictured). This amazing flower as if from another world, it is impossible not to admire them. This is not typical, it is very original - it looks like a woman's shoe. She is graceful, refined, refined.

Luxurious flower from the orchid family

origin of name

According to the myth, once upon a time, Venus and Adonis were caught by rain while hunting. To wait out the bad weather, they hid in a cave and did not waste time there. During their love games, a slipper of pure gold fell from Venus's foot. At this time passed by a common person and noticed the slipper, wanted to pick it up. But as soon as he touched him, he turned into a flower, which is very similar to an elegant shoe.

Characteristic:

Orchid lady's slipper (photo) refers to perennial herbaceous plants. It is widely distributed in Eurasia. The scientific name of this beauty is paphiopedilum, but the people often call it:

• lady's slipper;
• adam's head;
• limestone slipper;
• cuckoo boots;
• Mary's slipper;
• roosters.

All this is the same plant that we are considering today.

bright orchids

Note! AT vivo the lady's slipper flower does not grow in swampy, but well-moistened places. As for home conditions, she needs, without a draft, and a lot of space for growth.

Previously, all slipper orchids belonged to the same genus, but now they are divided into:

1. Cypripedium.
2. Paphiopedilum.
3. Fragmipedium.
4. Selenipedium.

Since such plants interbreed perfectly within the genus, there are at least 1,000 interspecific hybrids.

Kinds

On the this moment several species that are successfully grown at home are very popular.

Acaulescent

This species has ground stems and two folded, oblong or broadly oval leaves. Their length does not exceed 20 cm, and their width is 8 cm. The flower is located at a height of 35 cm from the ground, it is large and has a pleasant aroma. Distinguished by its decorative look, flowering falls in the spring - early summer.

Ramhead

Its height is about 30 cm, the stems are thin and weak. The leaves are alternate, oblong, their length is 10 cm, the width is not more than 5 cm. The flowers are located at the top, they are small, solitary. Flowering falls at the end of spring.

Californian

This lady's slipper reaches a height of 80 cm. The stem is strong, has 3-4 leaves. They are oval, arranged alternately, sharp, their length is about 10 cm. The flower of this species is very beautiful. On one inflorescence from 4 to 12 small flowers, their bracts are round. The diameter of each peduncle is 4 cm, the length of the pedicels is different. The flowering period is the end of spring.

snow white

The height of this crumb is only 30 cm. At the bottom, the stem is covered with scaly throats. There are 3-4 leaves, they are pointed, 12 cm long, 4 cm wide. The flowers themselves are small, one per stem, 2 cm in diameter, there are purple spots on the sepals. Color in late spring - early summer.

tufted

Height up to 40 cm, pubescent stems, leaves no more than 10 cm long, 6 cm wide. Their inflorescence is straight, stable due to its small height. Up to 4 flowers are placed on the inflorescence.

Real

The real lady's slipper (pictured) is herbaceous plant which belongs to the orchid family. The height of the plant is not more than 50 cm, its rhizome is thick, creeping, consists of internodes, which are formed after each annual growth. Adventitious roots can be up to 30 cm long.

On the stem is a brown calyx, on which there are short glandular hairs. The leaves are elliptical, alternate, slightly pointed, slightly wavy. Their length is up to 18 cm, width 8 cm.

Flowers are bisexual, bracts are large. The tepals are red-brown, the lip is swollen, yellowish. The fruit is a box. This type of venus slipper is also called.

large-flowered

The rhizome is thick and shortened, the roots are sinuous, filiform. The height of the stem does not exceed 45 cm, at the base of them there are brownish shoes. The length of the leaves is 15 cm, the width is 8 cm. The flowers, as the name implies, are large, solitary. or lilac, dark veins. The lip can reach a length of 7 cm, it is very swollen. Blooms in mid-summer.

Growing a venus slipper

The flower, like other orchids, is a little capricious, but it will thank for the care with beautiful flowers and excellent decorative properties. When choosing a place, you need to focus on the presence of diffused bright light. It can be obtained from any window. Important criterion- this is the duration of daylight hours, it should not be less than 14 hours. In winter, this can be achieved by supplementary lighting.

growing substrate

The key task for shoes is to build up and maintain roots. This genus is distinguished by the fact that it does not like acidic soils. In order to increase alkalinity, lime or dolomite flour should be added to the standard orchid substrate.

It is important to prevent caking and layering of the soil. It is also impossible for moisture to stagnate in the pot. In order to prevent this, there must be drainage at the bottom of the pot. For spraying, you need to set the sprayer to the mode of the smallest drop so that it does not collect on the leaves in streaks.

Note! There will be no layering if you feed the flower with a foliar method.

The ideal composition of the substrate:

• Chopped pine bark - 5 parts.
• Perlite - 0.5 parts.
• Peat - 1 part.
• Charcoal - 1 part.
• Dolomite flour - 0.5 parts.

Drainage for planting a venus slipper

Temperature regime

Variegated people love warmth, low temperatures are detrimental to this orchid. They can be successfully grown in rooms with such temperatures:

1. Winter - + 18-24 ⁰С.
2. Summer - + 23-27 ⁰С.

As for broad-leaved species, they are considered cold-loving. On the contrary, they are destructive high temperatures. Temperature regime for such the following: in winter + 16-20 ⁰С, in summer - + 18-24 ⁰С.

Note! Flower will be grateful for the change in temperature during the night. So, if the difference in indicators is within 5 degrees (less than 5 degrees at night) - this will positively affect flowering and overall development.

Watering

The lady's slipper loves water, but only if it is watered correctly. The main rule should be regular and equal watering throughout the year. Before moistening the soil, it is necessary to defend the water that has been previously filtered. In order not to harm the plant, the water is heated to a temperature of + 30⁰. Do not allow moisture to get on the sheets, otherwise they may rot. If water still gets on the leaves, it must be blotted with a napkin.

A convenient method of moistening the soil is not watering, to which we are accustomed, but immersion pot with the plant in another container, which is slightly larger. It must have water at the right temperature. Depending on the substrate used, the duration of such baths will be:

1. When using peat and small wood pieces, 15 minutes is enough.
2. If there are rough pieces of bark, then it takes at least 40 minutes to soak them with water.

Note! After watering, you need to check: if there is water in it, it must be drained. Schedule the next watering only when the soil is dry.

It is very important to properly water orchids.

Humidity

Under natural conditions, the lady's slipper lives in humid environment- about 70%. Of course, at home, such humidity is unrealistic to achieve. Solving this problem is quite simple - put a humidifier with cold steam near the venus slipper. It will be useful not only for orchids but also for other green home residents.

Advice! An easier option to create suitable humidity is to put a pot with a plant in a tray in which wet moss and expanded clay are embedded. This will achieve the required humidity.

Fertilizers, top dressing

The best solution would be to use a special top dressing for orchids. Water the plant with a solution prepared according to the instructions every month. If standard fertilizer for flowering is used, then it must be diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 1. organic nutrition can also be used, but infrequently - it contributes to the decomposition of the substrate.

Transfer

You can determine that the lady's slipper wants to move to a new place of residence by the following signs:

• The appearance of the flower is oppressed.
• The pot smells of mold and rot.
• The substrate will be tightly packed.

Important! For successful cultivation venus slipper, you need to make it a rule to replant each plant every 2 years.

It is optimal to transplant when flowering is over, this period is the best for adapting to new conditions.

It is worth paying attention to the choice of the pot, it should be wide, but not high. At the bottom of the pot there should be drainage, a substrate is laid out on it. Before planting, the roots should be well inspected, damaged ones should be removed. Bad roots are cut off, and the cut point is processed activated carbon crushed into powder. Watering after transplantation, in accordance with the method proposed above, can be done no earlier than 3 days later.

It is convenient to propagate an orchid by dividing the bush; at least 2 sprouts must be present on each “delenka”. This layering will be easier to adapt, and it will bloom faster.

Paphiopedilum reproduction

Growing in the garden

Oddly enough, but cold-resistant species can be successfully grown on, while observing the following rules:

1. The first step is to choose a quality planting material. It should have clean roots, a healthy and large kidney.
2. The landing site should be slightly shaded, optimally under deciduous trees. Also, the place should be calm and open. a good guide fern is: where it grows, the lady's slipper will also take root.
3. The soil should be light, loose, neutral or slightly acidic. The soil can be further loosened by adding gravel, perlite, brick beaten into small pieces.
4. Watering. Drying, as well as waterlogging, the plant does not need. Watering should be moderate and regular.
5. Landing. The rhizome in the soil must be laid horizontally, while the roots must be straightened. Deepen the kidney by 1-1.5 cm. It is impossible to plant a plant too deep, it may die. The soil must be well compacted and watered.

It's hard to believe, but representatives of the orchid family live on all continents except Antarctica. And as soon as they don’t call the Lady’s slipper: Adam’s head, Mary’s slipper, cuckoo boots, cockerels ... Three types of the Venus slipper that live in the Northern Hemisphere, namely the real slipper, large-flowered and spotted, are called northern orchids. The unusual beauty of the flower became fatal - it was collected for bouquets and for breeding in gardens, so much so that in wild nature this plant is practically not found (only in separate specimens). The lady's slipper is listed in the Red Book.

The genus of Venus slippers (Cypripedium - is associated with one of the names of Venus - Cyprida) in 1753 was described by Carl Linnaeus in the famous work "Plant Species". This genus includes about 50 species growing from the forest-tundra to the tropics. The specific epithet calceolus means "little slipper".

flower description

Lady's slipper is found in deciduous, mixed, less often coniferous and steppe forests, on forest edges, forest meadows and in thickets of shrubs. Lady's slipper grows on well-moistened, but not waterlogged soils. This plant prefers moderate light, so the lady's slipper does not grow in the open sun, but hides in deep shade.
From the thick rhizome of the Venus slippers, which lie shallow, thin, but tough and long roots grow - they live for many years. The plant is able to withstand winter cold down to -40 ° C.
Every year in the fall, new growth buds are formed on the rhizome, which will give a stem in the spring. The stem is covered with glandular hairs, with 2-5 leaves, broad or oval in shape with pointed ends and a smooth edge.
Flowers-shoes are large, 5-8 centimeters each, usually single, but double are less common. A large slipper petal is surrounded by long and narrow purple or burgundy sepals, or perianth. The large lip of the Venus slipper is a modified petal. After pollination, a fruit is formed in place of the flower - a trihedral dry box with thousands of tiny seeds.

The lady's slipper blooms in mid-May. A pollinated flower retains its freshness for only 1-3 days, while a non-pollinated flower attracts the attention of flies, beetles, and earthen bees for up to 3 weeks.
Slipper flowers have a unique structure - they are like traps. Attracted by the delicate vanilla-like scent and beauty, the insect is quickly trapped and forced to pollinate the flower for its freedom. For an insect, the lip of the shoe looks like a bowl of treats, it climbs into it in search of sweet nectar, but can no longer get out. The edges of the lip wrapped inward and the smooth surface do not let the insect out. Further, the insect, in search of a way out, rushes to back wall bowls where “windows” shine, sections of transparent fabric, and here is a saving gap. Crawling through it, you need to overcome two obstacles, while always touching them.
The first obstacle is the stigma of the flower, on which remains the pollen brought by insects. The second obstacle is the anther, from which the insect carries away a thick layer of pollen. Thus, self-pollination is completely excluded.

underground and
symbiosis with

Not all flowers are pollinated, and those that do bear fruit produce thousands of tiny seeds. They are so small that they easily fly through the air for quite long distances and get into the most different conditions. But in the seeds there are almost no nutrients, but only the embryo and the protective shell, so they cannot germinate on their own. This is where mushrooms come in.
Some types of mushrooms enter into a mutually beneficial symbiosis with the future flower. At the first stage, fungi destroy the seed coat and begin to supply the embryo nutrients, later the plant itself begins to give the products of its metabolism necessary for the fungus.
Naturally, such ideal conditions appear only in a small part of the seeds. The slipper sprout lives underground for three or four years, and only after this time the plant releases its first leaf above the ground. It may take so many more years (or even twice as long) before the flower blooms!
The lady's slipper can reproduce and vegetatively, with the help of all new processes of the rhizome.
The lady's slipper accumulates a bitter poisonous substance in the leaves - protective agent from moose and hares, and other herbivores. But for humans, it is absolutely safe (it is also used as a medicine).

They can find true happiness. But nowadays it is not necessary to go to the forest for this, because gentle venus hair (a type of fern) can be successfully grown at home. Although he will not give lush flowers to the household, his greenery will fill the residential abode with freshness and cheer up. Sometimes the branches of such a fern are used to create exclusive bouquets for the bride. And some gardeners plant a plant on a personal plot.

The ancient ancestors of venus hair prospered wildly in the territory South America. Today, the miracle flower is familiar almost all over the planet. He is known in Canada and Mexico, in the USA and Russia, in the Crimea and the Caucasus. In its natural environment, the fern is found next to mountain streams, waterfalls, and often in gorges between rocks. Interestingly, another name for the plant is maidenhair, which means to moisten. When water gets on the lacy sheet plates, it gracefully flows down from its surface, only leaving a slight trace. Such a cute plant deserves careful attention to itself and proper care.

External description of the "fabulous" plant

The venus hair flower is a type of fern. Its long graceful shoots are covered with miniature patterned leaves with a hydrophobic layer. Thanks to this, water does not linger on them, but flows freely to the ground. Some varieties are distinguished by long (about 50 cm) leaves of light green color with an elongated shape.

The plant grows up to 30 cm in height. It has a scaly creeping rhizome about 70 cm long. It contains a huge number of rhizoids, with which the maidenhair venus hair is fixed to the soil surface. The stem on which the leaves are held has a black tint and an elastic structure. Segments depart from it, light green in color in the form of miniature fans 1 cm long.

From the bottom side sheet plate there are pockets where sori are hidden. Being in such a cozy storage, they are protected from moisture, so they do not germinate ahead of time. They are visible through the thin green texture of the frond segment in the form of dark dotted dots. The venus hair fern produces spores almost all summer, starting from the end of May, and so on until autumn.
The plant grows well in greenhouses and at home.

Venus hair is often propagated by dividing the rhizome into parts. In the natural environment, reproduction through spores is possible.

For the life of each plant, watering is of great importance:

• timely;
• with an individual approach;
• regular;
• moderate.

This is especially true of the tender fern - maidenhair. Liquid should be at room temperature. The best way- rainwater. If the house is cold, the plant should be watered moderately to protect the roots from rot.
AT winter period Venus hair is desirable to have away from batteries or pipes of the heating system.

The flower does not like excessive moisture, because the leaves suffer from this. Lack of moisture leads to premature death of the rhizome. Therefore, you should regularly look after the fern in order to avoid extremes.

It is also important when caring at home to put the venus hair in a place where there is the least amount of sunlight. The plant prefers shady places, as lace leaves suffer from direct rays.
At first they lose their excellent color, and eventually dry out. You can put a pot with a plant in the house on the northern or eastern windows, where it will feel especially comfortable.

Home care for a venus hair flower involves the creation high level humidity in the house or apartment where it grows. Otherwise, small openwork leaves will hurt and crumble. Therefore, it is advisable to regularly spray the plant with water from a spray bottle. Another creation option optimal humidity for adiantum - put a pot with a plant in a container with moistened peat.

To produce proper care at home venus hair, it is important to keep the house clean. The plant loves clean air, because its distant ancestors grew in forests or near river flows.
Therefore, it is necessary to regularly wet cleaning in the room where the fern is located.

It is not befitting for heavy smokers to pollute the air with smoke near the lush greenery of a home fern.

In addition, Venus hair does not like extreme heat. Optimum temperature for him - no higher than 22 degrees. For such a flower, it is worth trying and creating comfortable conditions. The reward for the efforts will be a charming masterpiece depicted in the photo - a flower of venus hair.

It is equally important to choose a convenient container for the plant, because it has a powerful root that needs space. Ideal Solution- a wide spacious pot.
In him root system will develop well, and the flower will delight the household with greenery for a long time.

In order for the maidenhair to develop successfully at home, it is important to plant it in a suitable mixture. To do this, take 1 part of the leaf mixture, 2 parts of peat and mix thoroughly.
It would not be superfluous to add sand, charcoal (crushed) and containing calcium to the substrate.

In the root area, the soil should be loose and pass liquid well.

Care involves regular feeding and pruning of the plant in summer and spring period. You can do it 2 times a month. When dying leaves appear on fern bushes, they should be cut off. Sluggish, dry or pale specimens are best removed in time to give the adiantum a second life. The main thing is that after pruning, the plant is regularly watered and sprayed.

I would like to say a few words about possible pests maidenhair. If in the room where the flower grows, too dry air appears on the shoots of the cobweb. As a result, the leaves wither, then turn yellow and die. Get rid of the spider mite will help a weak shower with warm water. After such a procedure, it is important to control the level of humidity in the house so that the flower does not dry out.

Sometimes on back side leaves start up. Because of this, they turn yellow, curl up and die. To overcome the pest will help special chemicals, after which the plant should be "bathed" under warm shower. And then the house will be filled lush greenery charming fern - venus hair.

Venus hair planting - video

-This is one of the varieties of orchids.

There is a legend that speaks of Venus and Adonis. When Venus descended to Adonis on Earth for a walk in the summer forest, a severe thunderstorm began. Sheltering from the storm, they hid under the trees, and Venus took off her wet shoes and laid them on the ground. At this time, a wanderer passed by and noticed one of the shoes. Deciding to take it for himself, he reached for it, and ... the golden slipper turned into a beautiful flower.

Beautiful legend, isn't it? In any case, it is more beautiful than the scientific name of this orchid - cypripedium. The varieties of the plant venus slipper and its description will be discussed in this article.

Did you know? In the people, the plant is simply called - orchid venus slipper.

Real slipper (Cypripedium calceolus)

This is a perennial rhizome flower. Slipper real venus can grow up to 40 centimeters. The rhizome is thick, short, lies horizontally. Its flowers are large, have a mild aroma.

The sepals and petals are red-brown, the lip is bright yellow and yellowish green. You can find other varieties of colors: red, yellow, green, white, brown with a white lip.

Cypripedium calceolus has a long period of mycotrophic development. Such flowers usually bloom in late spring, early summer, and begin to bear fruit in August. It can be propagated by seeds and rhizome branching. Used in floristry, this is one of the reasons for the decline in the number of plants.

Large-flowered slipper (Cypripedium macranthon)

Another rare view orchids - Cypripedium macranthon. It is a herbaceous perennial growing up to 45 centimeters in height. The flower leaves are oval, slightly pointed towards the end, have small hairs.

Many varieties are found in nature colors, you can find pink, purple, purple with cherry specks. The flower can be distinguished by its characteristic swollen lip, which is often dotted and speckled and has a variegated color. After the flower has faded, an ovary is formed with a "box" in which the fruits are stored.

This kind of venus slipper not only pleases the eye with its beauty, but can also be used in medicine. Useful substances such as oxalic acid, ascorbic acid were found in the plant.

The slipper is prescribed for many diseases: children's fright, insomnia, headaches, epilepsy, problems with the genitourinary system, mental illness.

Important! The sedative and hypotensive effect of the flower on the human body has been scientifically proven..

Spotted slipper (Cypripedium guttatum)

Spotted slipper, or drip slipper, - another representative of the herbaceous perennial plant from the Orchid family. Like the rest of the brothers, it has a thin cord-like, creeping rhizome. The stem reaches 30 centimeters in height, glandular-hairy in appearance.

Sessile leaves reach 10 centimeters in length and 5 cm in width - broadly elliptical with a smooth edge, sometimes pubescent below. This is a single flower with white spots of purple, in which the upper leaflet is white. In the period from May to June, the slipper blooms.

Important! The flower is considered highly toxic..

Stemless slipper (Cypripedium acaule)

This interesting view orchids with a wonderful fragrant aroma was discovered in 1789 in America. This kind of slipper is quite difficult to grow, but if you try to create it the necessary conditions he will feel great.

The flower has a short rhizome with an aerial stem. Two ground leaves 20 centimeters long and 8 cm wide. The leaves are thick, folded, broadly oval or oblong. Sometimes there is a peduncle with a small leaf.

Almost identical petals and sepals are greenish-purple in color. The lip is no more than 5 centimeters. Due to the longitudinal fold, it seems that it is bifurcated. Most often there are flowers with a pink lip, but sometimes you can meet with a white one. At the base of the lip are long light hairs.

California slipper (Cypripedium californicum)

One of the brightest and most exotic representatives of the species - California slipper. This is an endemic that lives exclusively in Oregon or the mountains of California. loves places with high humidity, surprisingly resistant to external stimuli.

This is an unusual flower with a miniature lip of delicate creamy color and yellow flowers On the sides. This is a tall flower, it can grow up to 90 centimeters. There can be up to 12 flowers on the stem at the same time, but, unfortunately, they do not exude fragrance.

Did you know? Endemic - a plant or animal that lives exclusively in one area.

Puffy slipper (Cypripedium fasciculatum)

This species is often found in the western forests of America. Relatively low, up to 40 centimeters in height. The flower has two opposite leaves located in the middle of a woolly stem.

Leaves up to 10 cm long and up to 7 cm wide. A straight and stable inflorescence can have up to 4 greenish flowers. The lip is only 1 cm long, greenish-yellow in color with purple veins.

Ram-headed slipper (Cypripedium arietinum)

The ram-headed slipper has taken a fancy to the northeastern forests of America. The flower loves dampness and moderate heat. Grows up to 30 centimeters in height. It has weak and thin leaves and stems.

There are 2-4 lanceolate or elliptical leaflets up to 10 centimeters long and 8 cm wide. Flowers small, solitary, terminal. Lanceolate and consolidated sepals up to 2 centimeters in length.

Linear petals the same length as the flowers. The entire lip is shorter than the petals. Towards the end, it narrows and passes into an appendage. There are red and white lips with purple veins. Woolly hairs are observed near the opening. Blooms in early summer.

White slipper (Cypripedium candidum)

The halo of the flower's habitat is wet meadows and swampy places in the eastern United States. Low plants up to 30 centimeters in height with a short rhizome. The lower part of the stem is covered with scaly sheaths.

Up to 4 lanceolate, pointed or pointed leaves up to 12 cm long and 4 cm wide. The snow-white venus slipper has small two-centimeter single flowers and lanceolate sepals. They are the same, slightly longer than the lip.

The color of the sepals is green with purple spots. The slightly twisted petals are longer than the sepals. A white lip with purple strokes inside, about 2 centimeters in size. Blooms towards the end of spring.

Queen's slipper (Cypripedium reginae)

Tall herbaceous plant, reaching 60 centimeters in height, with a very short rhizome. Strong, erect stems completely woolly, pubescent. Leaves up to 25 centimeters long and 10 cm wide, oval, sharp, light green.

The flowers grow up to 8 centimeters, most often white or pinkish. The lip is swollen, white with purple stripes. Blooms in mid-summer. It can easily tolerate frosts down to -37 degrees without loss of flowering properties.

Fluffy slipper (Cypripedium pubescens)

fluffy slipper can be found in damp forests and swampy areas. In height it can reach 50 centimeters. There are up to 4 alternate leaves on the stem.