Cypripedium debile
Cypripedium debile
Safety & Hazards
We have seen no reports for Eurasian members of the genus, but there are reports that the glandular hairs on the leaves and stems of some N. American species can cause a rash, similar to poison ivy rash[ 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ]. We have no specific information for this species, but it has been stated that the roots of at least one member of the genus may cause psychedelic reactions, and large doses may result in giddiness, restlessness, headache, mental excitement and visual hallucinations[ 2170 Title Herbal Medicines. Third Edition Publication Author Barnes J., Anderson L.A. & Phillipson J.D. Publisher Pharmaceutical Press; London Year 2007 ISBN 978 0 85369 623 0 Description Providing mongraphs on 152 medicinal plants with lots of references to allow further research. A very good book, it can be downloaded from the Internet ].
Botanical Description
Cypripedium debile is a herbeceous perennial plant plant spreading slowly by means of rhizomes to form a clump. It produces 2 leaves on each erect, thin flowering stem, growing around 8 - 15cm tall[ 1866 Title Medicinal Orchids of Asia Publication Author Eng Soon Teoh Website https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24274-3 Publisher Springer International Publishing Switzerland Year 2016 ISBN 978-3-319-24272-9 Description ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for use as a medicine. It is an ornamental plant, valued in horticulture, but its cultivation is very difficult[ 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ]. Cypripedium debile is fairly uncommon, rare and very local with a scattered distribution. The population is decreasing; the species often occurs as solitary plants or in small groups and the abundance of the species has been significantly reduced during recent decades due to many threats especially collection, trampling, ecological disturbance, deforestation, tourism, exploitation for horticultural and infrastructure development. The number of mature individuals is low; the population is severely fragmented and known from about nine locations and there is an estimated continuing decline in the number of mature individuals and the quality of the habitats in all the known locations. The plant is classified as 'Vulnerable' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2014)[ 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ].