Pink Lady Slipper
Cypripedium acaule
This member of the Orchid family may be my favorite flower. It's not very common, but can be seen in dry woodland habitats. I've generally seen these in bloom on my Memorial Day visits, but sometimes by then the blooms are already spent. The bloom of this plant is very unusual - the lower petal forms a hollow sac and the remaining petals and sepals are brownish. The leaves aren't shown in the above photo, but there are 2 oval shaped ones at the base of the plant. I'm hoping to find the rarer yellow Lady Slipper next spring.