Lady’s-Slipper Orchid:
The Lady’s Slipper orchid, once believed to be extinct in the UK for nearly a century due to over-collection, was rediscovered in 1930 when a single plant was found. It has now been spotted growing naturally in the wild again in England.
- It belongs to the subfamily Cypripedioideae (Orchidaceae) and known for their distinctive slipper-shaped labellum that aids pollination by trapping insects.
- Declined due to overcollection, medicinal use, habitat loss, and failed transplantation. They are difficult to cultivate due to specific soil and fungal needs.
- Conservation in India is led by the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) and other institutions through in-situ and ex-situ conservation, tissue culture propagation, and habitat restoration.
- Conservation Status
- CITES: Appendix I & II
- IUCN Red List: Critically endangered/ Endangered
- Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule III
