Ram's-head Lady's-Slipper

Ultra-rare Lady's-Slipper

Ram's-Head Lady's-Slipper

This week I had the rare privilege of seeing the ultra-rare Ram's-Head Lady's-Slipper (Cypripedium arietinum) in Nova Scotia.  This orchid does not exist in New Brunswick.  According to botanists it should be here but it has never been found in New Brunswick.  It is in Nova Scotia, Maine and Quebec but not New Brunswick.

Ram's-Head Lady's-Slipper

The Ram's-Head Lady's-Slipper is the smallest lady's-slipper in the east.  It is about 20-25 cm (8-10") tall and its 3-5 leaves are cauline (growing along the stem).  My first impression was that this was a small, fine lady's-slipper.  The flower is about 2.2 cm long (1") and is a deep purple and streaked with fuzzy white above.  There are 3 sepals but the side ones are split into two each. The top sepal is streaked longitudinally with red streaks on a green background.  There is only one flower per stalk.  The flower has a faint vanilla scent.

Ram's-Head Lady's-Slipper

We found 7 clumps of this rare flower.  In some clumps there were about 10 flowers.  They were growing in a sunny patch in the mixed forest growing over sink holes around the edge of an abandoned gypsum mine.  

Ram's-Head Lady's-Slipper

One patch had very light-coloured flowers, almost white, just slightly pine on the streaks.  Many of the clumps had seed pods from last year as seen in the photos.  The flower is triangular-shaped from the side view and is presumably how the plant got its name.  

According to the Flora of Nova Scotia this plant blooms 'only in May'.  I saw it in full bloom on May 29 so I expect its bloom will go into June this year.  That is probably due to a late spring this year.

Ram's-head Lady's-slippers grow in only 4 places in 2 counties in Nova Scotia, Hants and Cumberland.  Because of their very limited distribution in the Maritimes, they are extremely vulnerable and need the topmost level of protection.

Ram's-Head Lady's-Slipper

 Fortunately the Ram's-head Lady's-slipper does grow elsewhere in North America.  It is found from Quebec to Saskatchewan in suitable habitat and southward to New York and Minnesota.  

Ram's-Head Lady's-Slipper

It is interesting to speculate why we have not found this plant in New Brunswick or Prince Edward Island.  New Brunswick has almost identical habitat directly across the Bay of Fundy from the site where it is found in Nova Scotia and even though these areas have been searched extensively, we have not found it.  However, the search goes on.  It has become our nemesis plant.