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Cypripedium reginae

Walt.

Showy Lady's-slipper

G4Apparently Secure (G4G5) Found in 9 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G4Apparently SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.159904
Element CodePMORC0Q0D0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
IUCNLeast concern
CITESAppendix II
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassMonocotyledoneae
OrderOrchidales
FamilyOrchidaceae
GenusCypripedium
Other Common Names
Cypripède royal (FR) showy lady's slipper (EN)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2016-01-12
Change Date2016-01-12
Edition Date1994-02-04
Edition AuthorsOstlie, W.R. (1994); S.L. Neid (1998).
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 to >300
Rank Reasons
Cypripedium reginae has an extensive range throughout much of eastern North America, but is infrequent or only very locally abundant throughout this range. The species is found from Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, and eastern Saskatchewan south to Virginia, Tennessee, Arkansas, and North Dakota. It is impacted by hydrologic disturbance and water contamination, collecting, and many other threats (although occurrences exist on many protected areas).
Range Extent Comments
Cypripedium reginae has an extensive range throughout much of eastern North America. The species is found from Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, and eastern Saskatchewan south to Virginia, Tennessee, Arkansas, and North Dakota.
Occurrences Comments
Numerous documented or published occurrences: Manitoba (over thirty-five), Ontario (approximately one hundred), Quebec (approximately twenty), Saskatchewan (one); Arkansas (two), Connecticut, Iowa (eight counties), Illinois (five), Indiana (over twenty), Massachusetts, Maine (twenty-one), Michigan (sixty-one counties), Minnesota (thirty-three counties), Missouri (twenty-seven), New Hampshire (six), New Jersey (one), New York (thirty counties), North Dakota (approximately twenty-one), Ohio (seven), Pennsylvania (nine), Tennessee (two), Vermont (fifty-nine), Virginia (two-four), Wisconsin (forty-three), West Virginia (two). [Of the ranked occurrences there are sixteen A-ranked occurrences, 2AB, 10B, 14C, and 19D assigned by individual states. However, following current RANKSPECS this would change to 6A, 12B, 24C, 19D. (These do not include un-documented populations, of which there are many and some of which are anecdotally A-ranked.)]
Threat Impact Comments
Primary threats include hydrologic disturbance (drainage of wetland areas; contamination of water sources, e.g. road salt run-off, infiltration of groundwater by brines brought up from drilling operations) and habitat disruption (logging impact, peat mining, soil compaction, canopy closure). Also threatened by loss of habitat, herbivory, and wildflower picking. Horticulturally traded, though advertised by several distributors as available laboratory-propagated. As noted by Judziewicz (2001), may be particularly vulnerable to local reduction due to herbivory from overly abundant deer.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

The habitat of Cypripedium reginae consists of cold northern wetlands (e.g., mossy conifer swamps of Thuja occidentalis, Picea mariana, or Larix laricina), swampy thickets, bogs, woodland glades, ravines, stream and lake edges, seepages on limestone or sandstone bluffs, damp calcareous slopes or shores, limestone quarries, wet calcareous meadows, circumneutral seep springs, forested fens, shrub borders of fens, sandy shorelines, and algific talus slopes. (Almendinger 1993, MO NHI 1993, W.R. Smith 1993, WPC 1993b, Homoya 1992, Labrecque 1992, NH NHI 1992, OH NHP 1992, VT NHP 1992, Gleason and Cronquist 1991, Roosa et al. 1989, Nekola 1987, Fernald 1970, Rickett 1963, Steyermark 1963, Gleason 1952, Deam 1940). Cypripedium reginae grows in soils ranging from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline. It has been observed growing in sphagnum as long as its roots are able to penetrate into deeper substrate layers that have a higher pH. It also prefers constant moisture and full sun to semi-shaded conditions associated plant species vary considerably between habitat type and across the range of the species.
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN4
ProvinceRankNative
New BrunswickS3Yes
ManitobaS4Yes
SaskatchewanS1Yes
QuebecS3Yes
Nova ScotiaS2Yes
Island of NewfoundlandS3Yes
Prince Edward IslandS2Yes
OntarioS4Yes
United StatesNNR
ProvinceRankNative
MaineS3Yes
IowaS2Yes
PennsylvaniaS1Yes
ConnecticutS1Yes
VermontS3Yes
New JerseyS1Yes
MarylandSHYes
VirginiaS1Yes
New YorkS3Yes
MichiganSNRYes
MinnesotaSNRYes
TennesseeS1Yes
IllinoisS1Yes
North DakotaS2Yes
New HampshireS1Yes
MissouriS2Yes
AlabamaSNRYes
WisconsinS4Yes
ArkansasS1Yes
IndianaS3Yes
MassachusettsS2Yes
KentuckySXYes
North CarolinaSNANo
OhioS2Yes
West VirginiaS1Yes
Plant Characteristics
Economic Value (Genus)Yes
Roadless Areas (9)
Arkansas (1)
AreaForestAcres
Clifty CanyonOzark-St. Francis National Forest1,963
Michigan (1)
AreaForestAcres
Norwich Plains Revised Roadless AreaOttawa National Forest4,360
Minnesota (1)
AreaForestAcres
Wood LakeSuperior National Forest596
Tennessee (2)
AreaForestAcres
Big Laurel Branch AdditionCherokee National Forest5,577
Flint Mill GapCherokee National Forest9,494
Virginia (2)
AreaForestAcres
Little Walker MountainJefferson National Forest9,818
Long SpurJefferson National Forest6,417
West Virginia (2)
AreaForestAcres
Canaan LoopMonongahela National Forest7,867
Spice RunMonongahela National Forest6,251
References (62)
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