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Home , Cypripedium, Cypripedium arietinum, Paphiopedilum

Ladys’ Slipper Orchids of India H.J. Chowdhery ABOUT THE BOOK The Lady's Slipper or Slipper Orchids are an extremely well known group of orchids. The are popularly called Lady's slippers because of the presence of a highly modified pouch-like lip or labellum, which looks similar to a lady's slipper. They are highly priced and much sought after in the floriculture industry as potted as well as cut due to their enchantingly attractive, colourfull blooms and ability to remain fresh for several weeks. The presently known five lady's slipper orchid genera , which belong to the orchid subfamily are widely distributed in the temperate regions of Eurasia and North America, south to Brazil and Bolivia, tropical Asia from India across to Taiwan, south-east Asia from Indo- across to the Philippines, , and the . In India, only two genera namely and are found, which are confined to the Himalayan and North-East Indian region except one of Paphiopedilum P. druryi, which is endemic to Western Ghats. The book is the first ever comprehensive taxonomic treatment of Indian Slipper orchids. In the introductory part of the book, a brief history of lady’s slipper orchids, their and a glimpse of all the five known genera of this group has been provided. The main part of the text comprises of the detailed taxonomic information on the 14 species of lady’s slippers (Cypripedium-5 and Paphiopedilum-9) reported from India. The descriptions for all the species have been drawn from the live plants along with colour plates made from fresh flowers for the first time for these orchids. In addition, in some cases the interesting history of their discovery and collection (wherever available) has also been appended. This apart, in some of the species, type specimens were wrongly designated and quoted and were followed till date by the orchid taxonomists and monographers. Such wrong treatments have been corrected through lectotypification by designating appropriate Lactotypes. No other serious reference approaches the depth and authority of this remarkable book. taxonomists, Nature lovers and those who just initiated the study of orchids will appreciate and value this book for identification and taxonomic information with regard to Lady’s slipper orchids.

CONTENTS Preface iii, Index to Figures ix, Taxonomic Treatment 5, Lady’s Slipper Orchids of India 31, References 159, Index 163

44 9 LADY'S SLIPPER ORCHID

OF INDIA 69 S OF INDIA

LADY'S SLIPPER ORCHIDS OF INDIA 2. Cypripedium elegans LADY'S SLIPPER ORCHIDS Brit. India Rchb. f. 6: 169. in Flora 69: 34.1976; 1890; Pradhan, 5561. 1886; P.K. Hajra Indian Orchids: Hook. f., Fl. 1. CYPRIPEDIUM L. 1: 243.1987; in Nayar & Sastry Guide to Ident. Cribb, (ed.), Red Data & Cult.1: was established by Carl von Linnaeus in 1753. Checklist The Cypripedium Book of Indian Plants Flow. Pl. Nepal 246-248.1997; The genus Cypripedium Venus (Aphrodite), Chen et al. 213. 2000; Pearce Press et al., a name for in , Fl. China () 25: 30. &2009. Cribb, Orch. Bhutan Ann. Greek 'Kypris', or slipper, 24. F INDIA the 'pedilon', a sandal 2002; ADY'S SLIPPER ORCHIDS O Etymology: From , and L the island of as ‘Venus’s Slipper Orchid’. Type: China, 34 was born on K, iso.W) Xizang (Tibet), who Kang Me, native Index collector of King reference to the shape of the lip. It is also known (over wintering by means 54 (holo. Calceolus mariae Mill. deciduous perennials regions of Terrestrial, ...... is a genus of and subtropical dwarf 31 Cypripedium temperate called all . herbs up to marianus var. tibeticum the sub-arctic, Stem erect, 13 cm tall ...... (King inhabiting a century horticulturists sheaths. apically with creeping 1 ex Rolfe of ) For more than bifoliate, red underground Cordula ...... Kranzl...... Hemisphere. se terrestrial species inhabit 2-6 X 1.5-4.5 cm, - villose, with 2 61 Northern Vegetatively to oblong-ovate sessile, basal tubular 1 pardinum the elevations. or orbicular, opposite, spreading, plicate, druryi (Beddome) Rolfe Rchb.f...... at various are plicate puberulous, obtuse, glossy ...... 132 the slipper orchids ""of bogs and meadows or "cyps:'. The the leaves prominently green, long ovate fairrieana (Lindl.) Rolfe 78 spicerianum margins gated leafy stem, and than the veined beneath. ciliate or some Rchb.f. ex T. woodlands, bears an elon r root-stock leaves, solitary Infl orescence times ...... Mast. Moore & Cypripedium from a rhizome o –0.7 fl owered; peduncles erect , usually shorter hirsutissimum 78 ...... the typical arising are usually cm, elliptic to 1-4cm, (Lindl. 118 plants are perennial Young individuals and ovate-lanceolate, villose. Bracts Rolfe ex Hook.) tibeticum King ex Rolfe or ribbed. The plants. owering, the forming a hood acute, puberulous, 1.5–2 X 0.4 ...... only on mature the time of fl over the longer ventricosum 61 owers are borne level. At green with fl ower. Flowers up than the insignis 99 the fl nearer ground reddish tinge and to 2cm across; (Lindl.) Raf. 109 Sw...... to fewer leaves with 3-purple light red veins on venustum 31 restricted and fl ower buds. Only a few allspecies the true vary l eavesfrom lamellae like inner and insignis Wall. ex Sims produce bracts while ovate; lateral warts. Dorsal surface; lip (Wall. ex Lindl.) Raf...... axis extends to for fl owering, 10-12 cm sepals 1.2-1.6 white . 19, 6 villosum 132 a peduncle lant varies from beneath 1-1.5 X 0.3–0.5 cm, X 0.3-0.5cm, spiceriana (Rchb.f.) Rolfe 8 Lindl...... pattern by producing a blooming p the lip. Petals elliptic, elliptic- this The height of recently described Lip 1.4–1.6 X apically bifi d, ...... 118 wardii 142 on the stem. even 1.5 m in the up to 1 cm long, shorter 0.4–0.5 cm, lanceolate, fully hidden villosa (Lindl.) Rolfe (Summerh.) Curtis are basal 30-85 cm or than the sepals, concave ...... 149 species to surface with , subacute. Criosanthes 142 Damasonium nothum in the smallest 3 parallel, purple, sides abruptly infolded, upper Raf...... Chen & Lang. uniting at the warted ridges proceeding ...... 1 species C. subtropicum istributed in apex, apical part from CYPRIPEDIOIDEAE 1, 14 Fissipes acaulis 2008) widely d upper wall of the lip the mouth and (Aiton) Small. (Mabberley, to lower wall has a fl eshy plate extending from ...... Menophora ...... 10 47 species he Himalayas, North dividing it into CYPRIPEDIUM L. 5 ...... About 1-1.5mm 2 loculi. the ...... Distribution: 3-4 mm long, shortly long,stalked, ovate ellipsoid to up to 2.5 cm 9, 31 1 oblong – cordate, long; V.A. , temperate Asia across to Japan and China and t rounded apically. R.Br. Chase Albert & M.W. al, hairy on the ridges. Ovary bulbosum ...... 31 ...... America, and south to Guatemala and . 6: 169-174...... f., Fl. Brit. India Fls. & Frts.: June – August. xerophyticum 28 1753; Hook. leonan. 28. calceolus 1 (Soto, Sp. Pl.: 951. Orchid. P L...... Hagsater) Salazar & 50 (Heft 12), 1: 5, 31 V.A. Cypripedium L., fl anzenr. IV, al., Gen. Orchid. Distribution: caudatum Lindl. Chase. Albert & M.W. in Engler, P Pridgeon et INDIA: ...... 1890; Pfi tzer pp 301. 1997; CHINA; TIBET. Uttarakhand to 26 Gen. Cypripedium Sikkim; NEPAL; charlesworthii PAPHIOPEDILUM 28 1903; Cribb, BHUTAN; Rolfe ...... Pfi tzer et al., Fl. China (Orchidaceae) 25: 22-33. 2009. cordigerum 73 .... 19, 68 114-132. 1999; Chen Ecology: D. Don charlesworthii On moss covered humus rich ...... 35 (Rolfe) Pfi tzer L. coniferous forests, corrugatum druryi .74 steep slopes, soil at higher Franch...... (Beddome) Pfi Type species: Fam. des humus layer on lime stone; betweenshrubberies, 2600- elevations in 61 tzer ...... 78 1754; Adanson, and meadows the var. obesum fairrieanum ed. 4: Calceolus on the thick Franch...... (Lindl.) Stein Gard. Dict. abr. 4500m. druryi 61 hirsutissimum ..88, 98 Calceolus Mill., Note: Beddome ...... Calceolus mariae Mill. H.G. Reichenbach 78 (Lindl. ex in on a specimen (1886) described elegans Rchb.f. Stein ...... Hook.) plantes 2: 70. 1763-1764. Type: 1819; Atwood collected by Cypripedium ...... Nat. 89, 102. (southeastern a native elegans 44 insigne 99 Chim. Hist. Xizang). collector of Sir based folis-ovatolanceolatis (Wall. Raf. in J. Phys. R.Br. this Later King George King ...... ex Lindl.) Pfi Criosanthes Cypripedium arietinum species in the and Pantling from Tibet 1 ...... tzer Orchids of described guttatum Swartz 19, 68, 109, 117 ‘The Genus Sikkim Himalaya and illustrated ...... Selbyana 7: 129-247. 1984. Type: Cypripedium’ (1898). himalaicum Rolfe 49, 54 var. chantinii Himalaya (1997) noted Cribb in his Rafar...... in the genus Paphiopedilum to China. However, its distribution book ...... 117 oral structure the species range from hirsutissimum 55 var. maulei T. Moore Vegetative and fl is found Eastern ...... Plate-36: in Western Himalayas Lindl. ex Hook. 117 also. insigne ..99 var. sanderae Rchb.f. Wall.ex Lindl...... 117 ...... 109 pardinum macranthos Sw. (Rchb. f.) Pfi tzer ...... spicerianum .....132 31 (Rchb. f.) Pfi tzer Plate-4: aequino ...... ctiale 118, 130 ower. Garay (Photo: Lourens G Cypripedium fl robler) Plate-13: Floral structure of a

Year : 2015, Pages : xiii, 164, 100 colored plates, ISBN : 978-81-211-0868-3, Binding : Hard Bound, . Size : Royal 8vo, Price : Indian ` 3250.00, US $ 80.00, British £ 55.00, Euro 70.00 (With free postage)

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