Lady’s-slipper, also called moccasin flower, is any one of several showy wildflowers of the orchid family. The plants grow in moist woodlands of many parts of Europe, Asia, and America. One of the petals of the flower is enlarged, forming a lip called a labellum. It is this structure that makes the flower resemble a slipper or moccasin.
The showy lady’s-slipper, or pink and white lady’s-slipper, is the state flower of Minnesota. Its large flowers are white, but its lip is tinged with brilliant pinkish-purple. The yellow lady’s-slipper has beautiful, waxy, yellow flowers. Its petals twist in a spiral. The pink lady’s-slipper is the provincial flower of Prince Edward Island. The blossoms have a velvety pink or white lip with reddish veins and greenish-brown sepals. The small white lady’s-slipper grows in such damp places as bogs and marshy meadows.
Some tropical orchids with slipper-shaped petals are also called lady’s-slippers. They grow in North and South America and in Asia.
See also Orchid.
