# Cypripedium parviflorum



## gerhard (Dec 31, 2010)

Hi, can anyone tell me the difference between Cypripedium parviflorum var. parviflorum and var.makasin? Thank you?
gerhard


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## smartie2000 (Dec 31, 2010)

Var. markasin is darker is also very small, but I should let the experts chime in. I believe there are some differences in the foliage but I should let the others chime in


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## GaryB (Jan 1, 2011)

I'm probably not an expert, but I do a pretty good job researching things:

That brings us to the Cypripedium calceolus complex, the yellow lady's-slipper of Europe, and, atone time not too long ago, of North America, until J. T. Atwood, in 1985, pronounced the American yellow-lipped slippers distinct from the European yellow calceolus, a belief quickly sanctioned by most orchid experts in North America, as well as Phillip Cribb, the English authority at Kew. This separation eventually resulted in Sheviak's formation of the North American taxa Cypripedium parviflorum var.parvif lorum, C. parviflorum var.pubescens, and C. parviflorum var.makasin, (NANOJ 2(4):319): one species with three varieties. 

For a detailed explanation of the taxonomic confusion - and resolution - in the yellow slipper complex, one should consult two excellent authors: the
aforementioned The Genus Cypripedium by Phillip Cribb. And Charles Sheviak who has written several articles in the American Orchid Society Bulletin in 1994 and 1995\(NANOJ 2(4):319). The degree of resolution, however,as they freely admit, is subject to change with further notice

From a post by Charles Sheviak:

Cypripedium parviflorum is the most widely-ranged North American species. It is transcontinental in the North, ranging south through most the southeastern U.S and in the mountains of the West nearly to Mexico. It is also the most variable and taxonomically complex of our species. At present three varieties are recognizable, but this taxonomy does not accommodate all variation and some plants cannot be assigned to an infraspecific taxon.

The most widespread variety is var. pubescens, which occurs virtually throughout the range of the species. This is also the most variable variety. In the eastern deciduous forests the plants are large with large flowers, and similar plants occur in the north and west. Commonly the sepals and petals are rather pale with highly variable darker markings. From the Great Lakes northward and westward, however, the plant is much more variable, with a tremendous range of size and shape of flowers and floral parts. Small northern plants were described as variety planipetalum, because their small flowers commonly have mostly unspiralled petals. These plants are merely extreme forms of var. pubescens, and diverse populations of var. pubescens include a great range of forms. Many plants can be phenotypically manipulated by growing them under different conditions; cool conditions induce small growths bearing small flowers with flat petals. The point here is that many such plants will develop into larger var. pubescens in cultivation; var. planipetalum does not exist.

The other varieties of C. parviflorum have small flowers. In the forests of the eastern U.S. occurs var. parviflorum, often growing on rather high, drier slopes. The sepals and petals appear dark due to closely spaced, tiny spots. This plant is rather rare and not generally known in cultivation. The plant that is commonly known and cultivated as var. parviflorum is actually var. makasin. This is a more northern plant, occurring from the Great Lakes region northward into the taiga. It is typically a plant of calcareous fens, growing in open forests and openings. It also occurs in thickets in moist sands. The flowers bear uniformly dark sepals and petals, rather like C. calceolus. Typical plants of this variety are very rare west of central Canada; in the western mountains the variety seems to be represented by plants without the uniform dark sepals and petals.


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## Kevin (Jan 1, 2011)

This is very difficult to say. First, are you talking about the two forms of the small yellow lady slipper, or the differece between the large and the small yellow lady slipper? From the names you have given, both are small varieties, and var. makasin is more of a northern and western growing variety, and var. parviflorum is a more eastern and southern growing variety, although the ranges do overlap. Having never seen the far. parviflorum, I couldn't tell you the difference. As already mentioned, Sheviak would be a good person to talk to. Try this link: http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=242101551 

Good luck!


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## fundulopanchax (Jan 3, 2011)

Lots of opinions on this but most people find parvi var parvi is a more southern form and does not have a scent. Parvi var makasin is a more northern form and has a sweet scent. Some of mine have extremely strong scents. In my looking around (we have parvi var parvi in my area) makasin tends to be a smaller plant with very tiny flowers. 

Ron


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## cnycharles (Jan 3, 2011)

interesting to hear that there is parvi var parvi in your area, Ron; Dr. Sheviak had told me that the last plants he had seen in new york state where around the general albany area but that succession had closed out the canopy and the plants hadn't been seen. I'll bet if someone chopped down some trees they might show up again.

that said, in upstate ny cyp parviflorum variety pubescens is the larger plant and flower that does have some fragrance at times, sometimes not. after saying that, there can be small plants of this variety if they are growing in calcareous bogs like north of utica, ny where they don't get that large. they are almost always in wet areas. variety makasin can get fairly tall, but the plant isn't as robust and can look stringy in comparison to parviflorum because there aren't many leaves and/or the leaves are much smaller. also, in addition to having less leaves, though the plant can get fairly tall, the flower is quite small in comparison the overall size of the plant. there is often more red spotty coloration on the flower, and there can be a delicate rose-like fragrance to the flowers.

when Ken Hull and I went down to virginia to find and shoot parviflorum var parviflorum, the plants and flowers were comparable in size to the small white ladyslipper; proportionally the same ratio of plant/flower as pubescens but very small. flowers were not much bigger than the end of your thumb. they did have this musty fragrance that I couldn't place, but Ken said it smelled like 'old-fashioned, old lady perfume', a fragrance I'm not old enough to have smelled before  . also the southern small yellows were growing on a dry bank, any makasins I had seen were growing in black, calcareous muck. large yellows could be in moist woods (with springs under the ground), out of sphagnum moss in a bog but only in certain areas, and also in black, mucky areas. interesting that in central new york near cortland, there is a small fen where pubescens, reginae and makasin grow, and the small yellows don't grow in the same area where the large yellows do, though there is overlap between spots with large yellow and reginae. there definitely is variation in the soil substrate between the pocket fens where the large and small northern yellows are...


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