Cypripedium species;
 


THE LADY SLIPPER ORCHIDS:  There are more than one genus in the Lady Slipper Orchids. They are called so because of the structure of the lip or labellum which looks like slippers.
They all belong exclusively to the subfamily Cypripidoideae of family Orchidaceae.

Cypripedium
Mexipedium
Paphiopedilum
Phragmipedium
Selenipedium

Of these only two genus is represented in India namely, Cypripedium represented by 5 species (C. cordigerum, C. elegans, C. guttatum and C. himalaicum) and Pahphiopedilum represented by 9 species (P. charlesworthii, D. druryi, P. farrieanum, P. hirsutissimum, P. insigne, P. spicerianum, P. venustum, P. wardii).


To add, all the Paphiopedilums are included under the Wildlife Protection Act (1972) of India in the Schedule VI. Which means they are protected by law and you cant disturb their habitat in wild, you cant pluck them from wild and grow them in your garden etc.


glad to hear of the restrictions…
transplanting and trans- locating them to one’s garden or wooded property from their natural habitat is what caused all the havoc to their natural balance in USA and became almost so rare as there was some fear in the 70s that they would be extinct in another 10 years…
strict rules and their administration by forest rangers and individual honesty of the citizens has saved the day, although they are by no means out of danger…totally… but I saw a nice clump growing in my favorite  old woods and nearby neighboring towns’ in mid 90s that was declared  devoid of lady’s slippers..  “no lady slippers found for ten years” in late 70s…   in some clumps were the pink lady’s slippers and in some yellow…  very pretty.. so laypeople are tempted.. and there is some arrogance that they will be able to grow them in their property… which often is not the case…

so am glad Govt at least has rules.. so people who steal or transplant them can caught…
I has asked aboout this in some other thread of yours…