Cypripedium arietinum (Ram's-head Lady's-slipper): Minnesota Wildflowers

Cypripedium arietinum (Ram's-head Lady's-slipper)

Plant Info
Also known as:	Ram's-head Moccasin Flower
Genus:	Cypripedium
Family:	Orchidaceae (Orchid)
Life cycle:	perennial
Origin:	native
Status:	State Endangered
Habitat:	part shade, shade; dry to moist forests, fens, cedar swamps
Bloom season:	May - June
Plant height:	6 to 12 inches
USDA PLANTS database:	Minnesota county distribution map

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Detailed Information

Flower:

Small single (occassionally two) ½ to 1 inch flower atop a slender stem. The showy lower lip (the slipper) is inflated out horizontally with a conical extension descending from bottom. The slipper opening is white to yellow tinged and covered with silky hairs; under slipper is richly veined with purple, though an even rarer white form can be found. Lateral petals and sepals are similar, narrow, purplish-brown and may be slightly twisted. The upper sepal extends over the lip and is much larger and broader with more obvious striping. A single large, leaf-like, erect to curving bract sits at the top of the stem, behind the thickened ovary.

Leaves:

2 to 5 leaves, each 2 to 4 inches long, to 1¼ inch wide, are irregularily spaced on the stem. Leaves are elliptical with a rounded or blunt tip, softly textured surfaces, slightly wavy edges, and parallel veins.

Notes:

Ram's-head Lady's-slipper is a Minnesota State Endangered species. While committed that more people come to learn, love and appreciate our native plant heritage, and we encourage people to get out and explore for themselves, we struggle with how much locational data we share. Humans have a great tendency to carelessly destroy that which they would love. Plants that are poached from the wild do not survive transplantation and only further diminish the ever decreasing population. The Ram's-head lady's-slipper is much sought after as it is as beautiful as it is rare, but you must remember you trepass in its garden and great humility and caution are demanded in its presence.

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More photos

Photos courtesy Peter M. Dziuk, taken at Cedar Creek Natural History Center in Isanti county, and portions of Chippewa Natl. Forest in Beltrami and Cass counties

Comments

Have you seen this plant in Minnesota, or have any other comments about it?

Posted by: Nancy, off GunflintTrail
on: 2011-07-14 13:11:51

We visited the site on June 8th, for the first time in several years. We knew of the site as we initially discovered the site in 1983. At the time we had not heard of the Ram's Head orchid. We initially thought it to be the state flower, the Showy Lady Slipper, until we did some research. We found out it was endangered and that Welby Smith was interested, so we tipped him off to the location. At the time he had only vague locations for sitings in the area. The colony seems to be doing well, but this year the Ram's head were a little past their peak on this date. I understand they have a short bloom life. It is such a beautiful little flower. During our almost forty years of hiking the Gunflint area, we have never found this flower in any other location, despite finding like habitat.

Posted by: Walt in Itasca State Park
on: 2011-07-17 18:43:09

I photographed the Rams Head LS on June 10th this year; it was in good condition. Would love to talk with others about photo sites.