Cypripedium acaule
Cypripedium acaule
Safety & Hazards
We have no specific reports for this species but, especially during the flowering season, the glandular hairs on the leaves and stems of some N. American members of this genus 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. , 407 Title BoDD (Botanical Dermatology Database) Publication Author Website http://bodd.cf.ac.uk/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Brief notes on a very wide range of plants that have reports of causing harm to the skin. ]. The irritation is usually minor, or only lasts for a few minutes[ 293 Title Poisonous Plants of North Carolina Publication Author Website http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/poison/poison.htm Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent concise but comprehensive guide to toxic plants that grow in N. Carolina. It lists even those plants that are of very low toxicity, including several well-known food plants such as carrots and potatoes. ]. 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 acaule is a herbaceous perennial plant growing from a fleshy rootstock with short rhizomes; it slowly spreads to form a clump with leaves arisng directly from the rhizomes and leafless flowering stems growing around 15 - 60cm tall[ 200 Title The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. Publication Author Huxley. A. Publisher MacMillan Press Year 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5 Description Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed. , 270 Title Flora of N. America Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses. ]. With a high reputation as an effective sedative and nervine, this plant has been heavily harvested from the wild in the past for use as a medicine and was also gathered for horticultural purposed. It is less used medicinally (though no less effective) and is still grown as an ornamental in gardens. Cypripedium acaule is widespread with a large distribution area and abundant populations. The existing threats to the species and its habitats are unlikely to cause populations to decline quickly in the near future and the future of the species would be secured if the conservation measures suggested are applied and public awareness is raised. The species is still so common that only a high level of collecting would impact populations beyond a very local scale. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' 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. ].