About Cypripedium californicum A.Gray
This orchid species, Cypripedium californicum A.Gray, often grows in very large clumps. Each stem can produce up to 21 flowers, and the plant can reach heights of over one meter. It bears alternate, plicate leaves that run the entire length of the stem. Its petals and sepals are typically greenish-brown, while the small pouch is pure white, occasionally marked with pink spots. This species has a very restricted range, found only in the mountains of southwestern Oregon (including the Kalmiopsis Wilderness) and northern California. It grows most often at woodland stream margins within open coniferous forests.
