treemigration:

Cypripedium parviflorum var. pubescens 

Tall yellow lady slipper orchid

Photographed in Dayton,Ohio.(Montgomery County)

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As far as I am concerned this species is incredibly variable by population and extremely widespread in North America. This orchid species inhabits relatively wet mesic woodland locations in pretty much all of forested North America. The flowers are showy and are fairly fragrant.  As many of you know, Cypripedium species are quite the tricksters to pollinators. The flower attracts many different bees to it from local sites and each var. and odor seems to be unique enough to cause variance in pollinators. The pollinators themselves are attracted to the labellum primarily and then to a large nectarine site toward the back of the lip that offers no reward to the pollinator. Once at this site the pollinator has two exit lines separated by the stigmatic site of the column. Each separate exit has two seperate pollinia(pollensack) sites on each sides directly above the stigmatic part of the column. If the pollinator already has a pollinia attached to it’s side and exits in a similar direction the pollinator potentially will pollinate the orchid. The pollinia are attached to the column’s flap by a translator arm, which is quite sticky. The second part of the orchid’s trick is to give the pollinator the impression that the nectar site was just used up for that current flower, which explains why the pollinator might still head to another flower regardless of there being no reward at the current flower. 

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This species has the potential to be pollinated by the following genera: Ceratina,

Eristalis, Apis,  Agapostemon,

Lasioglossum, Osmia and

Andrena(potentially others, these are just the well known genera). 

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If you’re living in Ohio and want to know more about what Orchids are around you, check out: Orchids OHIO by Andrew Lane Gibson   or google your local Orchid Society.