Cypripedium x columbianum

We went a few weeks ago to see one of the few populations of the Yellow Lady's Slipper left in Washington State (they are often dug up and removed and thus there is no location data at all with this picture and not even a hint of its location). We went with the Native Orchid Society and were taken to see the plants by someone who knew of them but swore us to secrecy. When we arrived we were very pleased to discover that the Yellow Lady's Slippers there were Cypripedium parviflorum var. makasin, the Northern Small Yellow Lady's Slipper, but even more interesting was the fact that the population of over 100 plants included plants that appeared to be Cypripedium montanum, the Mountain Lady's Slipper and numerous natural hybrids between the two species, the hybrid known as Cypripedium x columbianum, of which this is an example. The dark sepals and petals could be from either species, but the lip or pouch is the giveaway, it is neither the white pouch of the Mountain Lady's Slipper, nor the yellow pouch of the Yellow Lady's Slipper, but something in between. Another giveaway is the crimson color lining the opening of the pouch which comes from one variety of the Mountain Lady's Slipper but is on a pouch which is not the white pouch of that species.

There are pictures of all three on the blog post below: nativeorchidsofthepacificnorthwest.blogspot.com/2013/06/ninth-week-of-native-orchid-season.html

Should mention, too, that we've been away for a couple of days. We have an eight year old grandson staying with us and have to keep him entertained, so we went to Mount St. Helen's, the Columbia River Gorge and Multnomah Falls and camped along the way. Managed to get in a bit of orchid hunting as well.