A wild Cyprepedium?
 

This is a picture I took of a potential Cyp species I found near Gilbert Plains, Manitoba, Canada. I saw this in a wooded park while on a walk with my parents, and after fighting with myself for quite a few minutes, I picked it (DON'T REPORT ME TO THE ORCHID POLICE! :biggrin:please.gif) so I could show it to my Grandma and take the following picture An unidentified Cyprepedium | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Yes ,indeed its Cyp.calceolus (most probably,I am not up to date on my Cyps.)
As far as the picking goes: well you are forgiven,at least you know you are not supposed to do it,and you took only the flower.

Wild orchids
 

HI I found this cypredium in Door county in Wisconsin. I was thrilled to find them but I didn't pick them. I brought the camera to the flower. I forgive you though. The urge to bring one home is strong but I almost always have my camera with me. I plan on going back to show them to some friends who have them growing on their land when they are blooming again.... I was told that is Cyp. calceolus. I have looked up info on them and everything matches up.

[IMG]http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/489...0652900001.jpg By null at 2010-02-10[/IMG]

:(

Well at least you left the main part of the plant in place.

The classification of the yellow flowered Cypripediums gets complicated. Cypripedium calceolus is considered a solely Eurasian species now. The similar yellow flowered North American forms are mostly considered varieties of Cyp. parviflorum (var. parviflorum, var. pubescens, var. makasin, maybe others). Your flower is one of them (and so is the Door county Wisconsin one), but the varieties are not easy to tell apart from a single picture and without knowing the scale.

Cyp. montanum is somewhat similar, but usually white, far more rarely yellow, and normally found farther west. Cyp. kentuckiense is only found much farther south. Hybrids may be found anywhere 2 species or varieties grow near each other, complicating things further.

You can (almost) be forgiven for picking this one, but if we ever hear about it happening again don't expect gentle treatment... :whip:

Yours may even be the natural hybrid of Cyp. parviflorum and Cyp. montanum - the color of the sepals suggests that it may be that, though I would expect the pouch color to be a bit less yellow, but the hybrid varies considerably and makes id even more difficult. The name of the hybrid is Cyp. x columbianum.

Well if everybody just starts picking their local orchids we might as well sign for their extinction. Their flowers are what they need to multiply and if you know the succesrate of multiplication especially in orchids.......

please forgive my ignorance, but i would think the yellows weren't that endangered because afterall even wayside gardens sells them in their garden catalogues.