Cypripedium franchetii Rolfe 1912 SECTION Cypripedium SUBSECTION Macrantha

Photo courtesy of Jan H. Larsen KJ Orchids Denmark

to EARLY

Common Name Franchet's Cypripedium [French Botanist and Traveller 1900's] - In China Mao Shao Lan

Flower Size 4.8" [12 cm]

Found in the Sichuan and Hupeh provinces of China in damp- humus rich and well drained locations on thinly wooded to scrubby slopes at elevations of 1500 to 3700 meters as a small to medium sized, cold growing terrestrial with an erect, densely villose stem provided with several basal sheaths and carrying 3 to 5, sparsely pubescent, subelliptic to ovate-elliptic leaves that blooms in the spring to early summer on a terminal, densely villose, 12" [30 cm] tall, single flowered inflorescence with a leaf-like, elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate, both surfaces sparsely hairy, minutely ciliate, acuminate to shortly acuminate, longer tha the ovary floral bract and a pubescent ovary .

Synonyms Cypripedium lanuginosum Schltr. 1919; Cypripedium macranthos var. villosum Hand.-Mazz. 1936; Cypripedium pulchrum Ames & Schltr. 1919

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Wild Orchids of China Tsi, Chen Mori 1997; Native Orchids of China in Colour Singchi, Zhanhuo and Yibo 1999 photo fide; Rudolf Schlechter Die Orchideen Band 1C lieferung 40 pg 2492 - 2564 Brieger 2000; AOS Bulletin Vol 76 #11 2007 photo fide; Native Orchids of Shaanxi Shaanxi Science & Technology Press 2007 photo fide; A Field Guide to the Orchids of China Singchi, Zhongjian, Yibo, Xiaohua and Zhanhuo 2009 photo fide; Flora of China Vol 25 Zhengyi, Raven & Deyuan 2009; Flora of China Vol 25 Illustrations Zhengyi, Raven & Deyuan 2010 drawing fide; Atlas of Native Orchids of China Vol 1 Jin Xiaohua, Li Jianwu and Ye Deping 2019 as C fasciolatum photo fide

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