Front:
MIAMI
1984
20c
33152
Yellow ladys- slipper Cypripedium calceolus
Krishy Rosenberg
Back:
The scientific name for the Lady's Slipper Orchid –
Cypripedium Calceolus — well describes the appearance
of the plant itself. The name, Calceolus, is a Latin noun
meaning "a little shoe," making reference to the orchid's
unusual "shoe-like" shape. Indeed, delicately set atop a
short, leafy stock, the flower of this orchid has the very
appearance of a tiny, velvet-soft slipper. However, the
Lady's Slipper has been known by many other names as
well ... including such titles as Noah's Ark ... Whip-
poorwill-shoe ... Monkey Flower .... and Nerve
Root. Yet, this radiant orchid is remarkable in more ways
than by its shape alone. It is also one of the very few
orchids that can be found in North America, Europe and
Asia. In addition, the Lady's Slipper can be observed
growing along warm swampy marshes and bogs near
the ocean ... or as high as 12,000 feet in the thin,
chilly air of the Himalaya Mountains. The Lady's Slipper
orchid is indeed a remarkable plant. In fact, the United
States Postal Service issued the colorful postage stamp
that is affixed to the front of this Maximum Card to honor
this lovely orchid.
No. 84-16
©1984 The Maximum Card Collection
A Division of Unicover Corporation • Cheyenne, WY 82008-0007
Original painting by Kristin Rosenberg.
