Orchidaceae

Cypripedium californicum

California Lady's-Slipper

Stem erect, slippers on upper stem. Stem and lance-shaped alternate leaves hairy. Basal leaves 2–6 in. long, somewhat ribbed, bracts along stem similar, reducing in size upward. Flowers 3–12. Flower with upper erect sepal 1/2–1 in. long, yellowish green to yellow, 2 lower petals smaller, similar. Pouch white, sometimes lightly spotted with brown or pink. Grows only at edges of streams and rivers, in fens, and on very moist slopes, at low to mid-elevations.

• Rarity: Rare
• Flowering Time: Early Summer
• Life Cycle: Perennial
• Height: 7--45 inches
• Habitat: Coastal, Bog/Fen/Wetland
• Found In: Siskiyous
• Native: Yes