Selenipedium
(from selenis, a little crescent, and pedion or podion, a slipper; in allusion to the crescentic, slipper-shaped labellum). South American Lady's Slipper. Including Uropedium. ORD. Orchideae. A genus comprising about a dozen species of stove, terrestrial Orchids, differing from Cypripedium in having a three-celled and three-furrowed or three-lobed ovary; they inhabit the mountainous parts of South America, Flowers showy or rarely mediocre, pedicellate; sepals spreading; petals free; lip sessile, spreading, inflated like a slipper; peduncles many-flowered. Stem erect, leafy. Regarding S. Schlimii, Mr. B. S. Williams remarks (in the "Orchid Grower's Manual"): "This is a difficult plant to cultivate. The imported plants appear as if they had been growing beside streams of water which are subjected to being flooded, for the leaves are frequently coated to a great extent with deposited mud; and it would, therefore, appear that our difficulties with this plant have arisen chiefly from an insufficient supply of water. We pot in peat, adding a little turfy loam and sand, with good drainage, and take care that water does not lodge in the heart of the plant. It is best grown at the cool end of the Cattleya house." For general culture, see Cypripedium (under which the species were formerly included).
S. Ainsworthii (Ainsworth's).* fl., upper sepal whitish or yellowish-green, bordered with pale purple, the lower one very wide, ventricose; petals rather broad, purple, with a green mid-vein and a pallid area near the base; side laciniae of lip reflexed, pale sulphur-yellow, copiously spotted inside at base; staminode sulphur-colour, with a dark purple, hairy border outside. 1878. A hybrid between S. Sedeni and S. Roezlii.
S. albo-purpureum (white-and-purple). fl. much larger than in S. Sedni; dorsal sepal having a pinkish tinge on the margin, elongated-ovate; petals pinkish, 5in. to 6in. long, twisted, hanging down beyond the lip; pouch of the lip dull crimson-red, the inflected edges at its base ivory-white, bordered with pink, and nearly covered by rosy spots. l. long, green, linear-lorate. A handsome garden hybrid between S. Dominianum and S. Schlimii. SYN. Cypripedium albo-purpureum (Gn. xxi. 332).
S. calurum (beautiful-tailed).* fl. large and showy, freely produced; dorsal sepal pale green, longitudinally ribbed with purple; petals pale green, edged with rose-red near the base, wholly bright rose-red at apex, 2 1/2in. long, narrower and more twisted than in S. Sedeni; lip of a deep wine-crimson outside, very handsome. l. elongated, channelled, acute, greer, in a thick tuft. Stems tall, branched, brownish-red. A handsome, free-flowering hybrid between S. longifolium and S. Sedeni. SYN. Cypripedium calurum (F. &P. 1884, 145; W. O. A. iii. 136).
S. cardinale (cardinal). fl., dorsal sepal blush-white, faintly striped with green; petals blush-white, with a patch of crimson-purple hairs towards the base; lip similar to that of S. Schlimii, but about 1in. in diameter. December. A beautiful hybrid between S. Sedeni and S. Schlimii albiflorum.
S. caricinum (Carex-like).* fl. pale green, the sepals and petals having a white margin, and the ends being blotched with brown; petals narrow, deflexed and twisted; lip black-dotted on the inner margin, oblong; staminode bordered with black hairs; spike rising clear of the leaves, four to seven-flowered. l. stiff, narrow, channelled. h. 1ft. or more. Peru. Plant having a Sedge-like appearance. SYNS. S. Pearcei (F. d. S. 1648), Cypripedium caricinum (B. M. 5466).
S. caudatum (tailed).* fl., sepals and petals yellowish, marked with brown; petals tail-like, often reaching 2 1/2ft. in length, more deeply coloured towards the base; lip reddish-brown, the basal portion yellow, spotted with reddish-brown; scapes 1ft. to 1 1/2ft high. April and May. l. ensiform, distichous, light green. Chiriqui, Peru, 1851. A very remarkable, stemless, evergreen orchid. SYN. Cypripedium caudatum (F. d. S. 566; G. C. n. s., iii. p. 211; Gn. iii. 313; L. & P. F. G. i. 9; R. G. 661; R. H. 1857, p. 318, and 1885, p. 472; W. S. O. ii. 1).
S. c. roseum (rose-coloured). fl. dark rose, intermixed with the yellow and green. (I. H. 1886, 596.) S. conchiferum (shell-bearing). fl., dorsal sepal whitish, veined with pale greenish-yellow, oblong-triangular; petals white, veined with green at base, brownish-crimson towards the tips, twisted, ribbon-like; lip pale olive-green, having the inflexed side lobes spotted with brown, and covered at the top with green warts. A hybrid between S. caricinum and S. Roezlii.
S. Dominianum (Dominy's).* fl. yellowish-green, tinged with coppery-brown; lip deep reddish-brown in front, with sharper reticulations, yellowish-green behind, the incurved mouth also yellowish, spotted with dark purple; stems erect, three-flowered. l. linear-elongate, broader than in S. caricinum, between which and S. caudatum this plant is a hybrid. SYN. Cypripedium Dominianum (F. M. 499; F. & P. 1874, 57; Gn. iii. 491).
S. grande (large).* fl. large; dorsal sepal yellowish-white, veined with yellowish-green, elongated, incurved; petals ribbon-like, more than 1ft. long, pendulous, broadest at base, where they are yellowish-white and hairy, the narrow part crimson; lip large and prominent, narrow at base, where the unfolded lobes are whitish, spotted with crimson, the front part greenish-yellow, paler and whitish beneath; staminode yellow, flushed with crimson, fringed on its upper edge with blackish-crimson hairs; scape 3ft. high, many-flowered. l. sword-shaped, 2ft. to 2 1/2ft. long. A grand hybrid between S. caudatum and S. Roezlii.
S. Hincksianum (Hincks'). fl., sepals whitish-green, with nerves of a darker tint; petals light greenish, with a deep greenish middle line and a brown border at base, the tails brown; lip green, marked with some small, brown spots near the base, long and narrow. Darien, 1878. SYN. Cypripedium Hincksianum.
S. kaieteurum (Kaieteur Fall). A synonym of S. Lindleyanum. S. Lindeni (Linden's).* fl., sepals white, veined with green, broad, oval-lanceolate, the linear-ligulate petals and lip velvety-white, streaked with green at base, the points lengthened out into purplish-red, tail-like appendages, sometimes 2ft. long; scape branching, velvety, two-flowered, 1ft. or more high. May. l. erect, ligulate, obtuse, pale green, 10in. long, forming a distichous tuft. New Grenada, 1850. SYN. Uropedium Lindeni (B. H. 1854, 193; F. d. S. vi. 123; R. G. 315; R. H. 1857, p. 511; R. X. O. 15).
S. Lindleyanum (Lindley's). fl., sepals pale green, with reddish-brown nerves on the outside, pubescent, with crisped margins, the upper one hooded at apex; petals pale green, with brownish-crimson veins, 2 1/2in. long, falcately linear, the margins recurved and ciliated; lip light olive-green, with brownish-crimson veins, and densely dotted on the side lobes; scape many-flowered, pubescent. l. coriaceous, bright dark green, 7in. to 9in. long, 2in. to 2 1/2in. broad. Kaieteur Fall, British Guiana, 1885. SYN. S. kaieteurum.
S. longifolium (long-leaved). fl., dorsal sepal yellowish-green, streaked with purple, the lower ones large; petals green, with a red marginal band, bordered with white, several inches long; lip green, suffused with shining purplish-brown; spike many-flowered. l. distichous, long-ligulate, keeled, dark green. Central America, 1869. SYN. Cypripedium longifolium (B. H. 1873, p. 65; B. M. 5970; F. & P. 1871, 126), C. Reichenbachianum.
S. l. coloratum (coloured). fl. with purplish-veined sepals and purplish petals. l. broader. 1873. A fine variety.
S. Pearcei (Pearce's). A synonym of S. caricinum.
S. porphyreum (porphyry-coloured). fl. nearly purplish, very much like those of S. Sedeni, but the open sides of the slipper-like lip are not provided with tumid protuberances, and both petals and the odd sepal are very distinctly shaped, more tapered to the point. l. as in S. Roezlii. 1878. A hybrid between S. Roezlii and S. Schlimii.
S. reticulatum (reticulated). fl. whitish, reticulately veined with green; dorsal sepal narrow-lanceolate, acute; lower ones broadly elliptic-oblong, very obtusely rounded at apex; petals linear, acute, twisted, horizontally spreading. Ecuador, 1885. A remarkable species.
S. Roezlii (Roezl's). fl. very large; dorsal sepal yellowish-green, suffused with rosy-purple on the borders, the lateral ones flesh-coloured; petals green, with a bright red-purple border and tip, linear-lanceolate, spreading; lip 3in. long, the saccate part greenish-yellow; scape many-flowered, 3ft. high. March to May. l. 2ft. long, 2in. broad, bright green, ligulate, keeled. New Grenada, 1873. SYN. Cypripedium Roezlii (B. M. 6217; F. M. ser. ii. 119; I. H. ser. iii. 138; R. G. 754).
S. Schlimii (Schlim's).* fl. 2in. across; sepals and petals white, mottled and striped with dark rose; lip white, the front of the pouch marked with a large blotch of deep rose; stem hairy, longer than the leaves, branching, eight-flowered. l. ligulate, acute, 8in. long, light green. New Grenada, 1867. SYN. Cypripedium Schlimii (B. M. 5614; F. d. S. 1917; I. H. ser. iii. 183; R. X. O. i. 44).
S. S. albiflorum (white-flowered). fl., sepals and petals white, dusted with delicate pink at the base; lip white, suffused with rose, more deeply coloured opposite the bright yellow column. Winter. 1875. A robust, free-growing variety. SYN. Cypripedium Schlimii albiflorum (I. H. 183.)
S. Schroderae (Baroness Schroder's).* fl., dorsal sepal pale reddish-green, lined with greenish-purple; petals whitish-green in the centre, stained with purplish-crimson, 4in. long, very broad, turned downwards; lip dull crimson, resembling that of S. caudatum. December. l. as in S. Sedeni. Stems branching. A very distinct hybrid between S. caudatum and S. Sedeni. (W. O. A. 196.) S. Sedeni (Seden's).* fl. large and showy; sepals greenish-white, ovate; petals longer, white, edged with purplish-crimson, twisted; lip rich crimson, white and crimson-spotted inside; stem taller than the leaves, bearing several flowers. l. ligulate, tapering, about 1ft. long, deep green. A handsome hybrid between S. longifolium and S. Schlimii. SYN. Cypripedium Sedeni (F. M. ser. ii. 206, 302; R. G. 1875, p. 150, and 1877, p. 86; R. H. 1879, p. 470).
S. S. candidulum (whitish). fl., sepals and petals white, with a rosy hue on the edge; lip purple. A hybrid between S. longifolium and S. Schlimii albiflorum.
S. stenophyllum (narrow-leaved). fl., dorsal sepal rosy, very pallid, green-nerved; the lower one the same colour, but nearly white in the centre, shell-like; petals purplish at their ends, much bearded towards the cordate base; lip pale purplish, the mouth of the inflexed lobes greenish-white, and streaked with rows of purple blotches. l. lorate, linear-ligulate, acute, very long. 1876. A hybrid between S. Schlimii and S. caricinum.
S. vittatum (striped). fl., sepals pale green, the upper one only half as broad as the lower, striped with red; petals brownish-red, lined with green towards the base, linear, arcuate-deflexed, undulated; lip brownish, inside green, spotted with reddish-brown, shorter than the lower sepals, and half as long as the petals; scape 1ft. to 1 1/2ft. high, minutely puberulous, few-flowered. l. 1ft. long, linear-ligulate, acute, bright green, very distinctly margined with yellow. Brazil, 1876. (I. H. 238.)
S. Wallisii (Wallis'). fl., sepals pale green, striped and slightly spotted with bright green; petals white, veined with green, about 8in. long, passing into very narrow tails, tinted with very pale brown at apex; lip large, white, spotted and veined with crimson, the mouth margined with yellow; stems three to five-flowered. l. ligulate, acute. Ecuador. SYN. Cypripedium Wallisii (R. X. O 181).