Taxon Report

Cypripedium californicum Gray

California lady's-slipper

Print Report


© 2012 Barry Rice

  Classification
Scientific Name:
 Cypripedium californicum Gray
Common Name:
 California lady's-slipper
Family: Orchidaceae
Element Code: PMORC0Q040
USDA Plants Symbol: CYCA4
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History
Lifeform: perennial rhizomatous herb
Blooming Period: Apr-Aug(Sep) Apr-Aug(Sep)
Elevation: 30-2750 (100-9025)
General Habitats: Bogs and fens, Lower montane coniferous forest
Microhabitat: Seeps, Serpentine (usually), Streambanks
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status
CA Rare Plant Rank: 4.2
Global Rank: G3
State Rank:
 S4
State List: None
Fed List: None
Other Status: IUCN_EN; SB_CalBG/RSABG
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB
Total Occurrences: 0
Element Occurrence Ranks:
   Excellent (A) 0
   Good (B) 0
   Fair (C) 0
   Poor (D) 0
   None (X) 0
   Unknown (U) 0

Location
California Endemic:  False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Butte (BUT), Del Norte (DNT), Humboldt (HUM), Lassen (LAS), Marin (MRN)*, Mendocino (MEN), Nevada (NEV), Plumas (PLU), Shasta (SHA), Siskiyou (SIS), Sonoma (SON), Tehama (TEH), Trinity (TRI)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Almanor (4012122), Bear Peak (4112365), Belden (4012113), Berry Creek (3912164), Blue Creek Mtn. (4112347), Brush Creek (3912163), Bully Choop Mtn. (4012257), Cant Hook Mtn. (4112368), Canyondam (4012121), Caribou (4012112), Carrville (4112216), Cascade (3912162), Cazadero (3812351), Cecil Lake (4112312), Chester (4012132), Chickabally Mtn. (4012236), Chicken Hawk Hill (4112214), China Mtn. (4112245), City of Mount Shasta (4112233), Covington Mill (4012287), Deadman Point (4112384), Devils Punchbowl (4112376), Duncans Mills (3812341), Dunsmuir (4112223), Dutch Creek (4112381), Elledge Peak (3912312), Fort Ross (3812352), Gasquet (4112378), Grouse Mtn. (4012376), Hamburg (4112371), Happy Camp (4112374), High Divide (4112481), High Plateau Mtn. (4112388), Hiouchi (4112471), Hoopa (4112316), Huckleberry Mtn. (4112363), Hurdygurdy Butte (4112377), Kangaroo Mtn. (4112382), Kimshew Point (3912184), Klamath Glen (4112358), Mount Eddy (4112234), Noble Butte (3912386), North Bloomfield (3912038), Onion Valley (3912078), Polar Bear Mtn. (4112385), Prescott Mtn. (4112366), Preston Peak (4112375), Pulga (3912174), Quincy (3912088), Rush Creek Lakes (4012278), San Rafael (3712285), Scott Mountain (4112236), Seven Lakes Basin (4112224), Shelly Creek Ridge (4112387), Ship Mountain (4112367), Siligo Peak (4012288), Smith River (4112482), Tangle Blue Lake (4112226), Tombs Creek (3812362), Trinity Center (4012286), Trinity Dam (4012277), Twain (4012111), Ukiah (3912322), Warm Springs Dam (3812361), Weed (4112244), Westwood West (4012131), Whisky Bill Peak (4112215), Wildwood (4012341), Willow Creek (4012386), Ycatapom Peak (4112217)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB

Threat List Total: 0
EOs with Threat Listed: Total EOs % of EOs
0 0 %

Notes
Threatened by horticultural collecting and logging. Potentially threatened by road maintenance. Many protected populations on USFS land not reproducing. On watch list in OR. See Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 7:389 (1868) for original description, and Fremontia 17(2):17-19 (1989) and The Wild Orchids of California, p. 62-64 (1995) by R. Coleman for species accounts.
Threats:
Taxonomy:

Selected References

USFS Potential Species of Conservation Concern Profile
Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 8 January 2025].