Taxon Report

Cypripedium montanum Lindl.

mountain lady's-slipper

Print Report

©2021 Scot Loring

Species Description:
Cypripedium montanum, commonly known as mountain lady's-slipper, is a perennial rhizomatous herb in the Orchidaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Broadleafed upland forest, Cismontane woodland, Lower montane coniferous forest, and North Coast coniferous forest, growing at elevations from 185 to 2225 meters. Cypripedium montanum is ranked 4.2, Plants of Limited Distribution, A Watch List; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Cypripedium montanum Lindl.
Common Name:	mountain lady's-slipper
Family:	Orchidaceae
Element Code:	PMORC0Q080
USDA Plants Symbol:	CYMO2
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial rhizomatous herb
Blooming Period: Mar-Aug	Mar-Aug
Elevation:	185-2225 (605-7300)
General Habitats:	Broadleafed upland forest, Cismontane woodland, Lower montane coniferous forest, North Coast coniferous forest
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	4.2
Global Rank:	G4G5
State Rank:	S4
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	IUCN_VU; USFS_S
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)
Amador (AMA), Butte (BUT), Del Norte (DNT), Glenn (GLE), Humboldt (HUM), Lassen (LAS), Madera (MAD), Mariposa (MPA), Mendocino (MEN), Modoc (MOD), Nevada (NEV), Plumas (PLU), San Mateo (SMT)(?), Santa Cruz (SCR)(?), Shasta (SHA), Siskiyou (SIS), Sonoma (SON), Tehama (TEH), Trinity (TRI), Tuolumne (TUO)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Carberry Creek (4212312), Chicken Hills (4212211), Siskiyou Peak (4212217), Squaw Lakes (4212311), Ackerson Mtn. (3711977), Adin (4112028), Adin Pass (4112038), Ascension Mtn. (3711978), Asti (3812278), Badger Mtn. (4112276), Bailey Ridge (3912324), Balls Ferry (4012242), Bend (4012232), Bieber (4112112), Big Bar (4012363), Blake Mountain (4012355), Board Camp Mtn. (4012366), Boulder Peak (4112351), Buckhorn Bally (4112287), Buckingham Mtn. (3711957), Bully Choop Mtn. (4012257), Burbeck (3912344), Burney (4012186), Burney Falls (4112116), Burney Mtn. West (4012176), Cahto Peak (3912365), Callahan (4112237), Caribou Lake (4112218), Carrville (4112216), Cazadero (3812351), Cecilville (4112322), Chalk Mtn. (4012187), Cherry Lake North (3811918), China Mtn. (4112245), Cloverdale (3812371), Columbia (3812014), Columbia Se (3812013), Cottonwood Peak (4112286), Covington Mill (4012287), Crescent City (4112472), Crescent Mills (4012018), Damnation Peak (4012285), Dana (4112115), Deadman Point (4112384), Dedrick (4012371), Dewey Gulch (4112273), Dinsmore (4012345), Donica Mtn. (4112132), Donnell Lake (3811938), Dubakella Mtn. (4012342), Duckwall Mtn. (3712081), Dunsmuir (4112223), Dutch Creek (4112381), Eaton Peak (4112238), Egg Lake (4112133), El Capitan (3711966), El Portal (3711967), Elledge Peak (3912312), English Peak (4112342), Felton (3712211), Figurehead Mtn. (4112383), Fish Camp (3711946), Fish Lake (4112336), Forest Glen (4012333), Fort Bidwell (4112072), Four Corners Rock (4012312), French Gulch (4012266), Garnet Hill (3812043), Genesee Valley (4012016), Girard Ridge (4112222), Grass Lake (4112262), Grasshopper Ridge (4112321), Grays Peak (4012146), Grider Valley (4112362), Grouse Mtn. (4012376), Guerneville (3812258), Half Dome (3711965), Halfway Ridge (4012353), Halls Canyon (4112131), Hamburg (4112371), Happy Camp (4112374), Happy Camp Mtn. (4112141), Hawkinsville (4112275), Healdsburg (3812257), Hermit Butte (4112037), Hoopa (4112316), Hoosimbim Mtn. (4012258), Hornbrook (4112285), Horse Creek (4112278), Huckleberry Mtn. (4112363), Hull Creek (3812011), Indian Spring Mtn. (4112135), Kangaroo Mtn. (4112382), Kneecap Ridge (3912257), La Honda (3712233), Lake City (4112062), Lake Eleanor (3711987), Lake Mountain (4012314), Laurel (3712118), Lewiston (4012267), Longvale (3912354), Marble Mountain (4112352), McConaughy Gulch (4112247), McGinty Point (4112074), Meadow Valley (3912181), Mendocino Pass (3912278), Mineral (4012135), Mount Eddy (4112234), Mt. Bidwell (4112082), Naufus Creek (4012343), Navarro (3912325), North Yolla Bolly (4012228), Orleans (4112335), Orrs Springs (3912323), Panther Rock (4112272), Papoose Creek (4012276), Penoyar (4112261), Plaskett Ridge (3912268), Quincy (3912088), Rough And Ready (3912122), Rush Creek Lakes (4012278), Salyer (4012385), Sawyers Bar (4112332), Schell Mtn. (4012275), Scott Bar (4112361), Seiad Valley (4112372), Shannon Butte (4012323), Shasta Bally (4012256), Sherwood Peak (3912355), Sister Rocks (4112462), Slater Butte (4112373), Smoky Creek (4012332), Spring Garden (3912087), Strawberry (3812021), Sugar Hill (4112073), Swim Ridge (4012322), Tangle Blue Lake (4112226), Tanners Peak (4112331), Taylorsville (4012017), The Whaleback (4112252), Thompson Peak (4112311), Tish Tang Point (4112315), Trinity Center (4012286), Trinity Dam (4012277), Twain Harte (3812012), Ukiah (3912322), Warm Springs Dam (3812361), Washington Mtn. (4112048), Wawona (3711956), Weaverville (4012268), West Haight Mtn. (4112251), White Chief Mtn. (3711945), Whitehorse (4112134), Wildwood (4012341), Willow Creek (4012386), Willow Ranch (4112083), Yellow Dog Peak (4112341)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


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

Notes



Widely scattered, but most occurrences small. Many protected populations on USFS land not reproducing. Threatened by logging and horticultural collecting. Possibly threatened by road maintenance, vehicles, recreational activities, non-native plants, alteration of fire regimes, and grazing. On watch list in OR. See Fremontia 17(2):17-19 (1989) and The Wild Orchids of California, p. 69-72 (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 21 January 2025].