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Botanical  Name: Cypripedium pubescens (WILD.), Cyprepedium parviflorum
Family: N.O. Orchidaceae
Synonyms:  Lady’s Slipper. Cypripedium hirsutum. American Valerian. Noah’s Ark. Yellow Lady’s Slipper. Nerve-root.
Part Used: Root.
Common Names: American Valerian,(American Valerian is one of the names given to the Yellow Lady’s Slipper (Cypripedium).) Lady’s Slipper, Moccasin Flower, Nerveroot,Whippoorwill’s-shoe,Yellow Indian Shoe

Habitat:Lady’s slipper is native to eastern North America. Its natural habitat is woods and pastures, but due to overharvesting, lady’s slipper is rarely .found in the wild. Lady’s slipper is cultivated to a limited degree.  Western N. America – Alaska to California.Moist open or wooded places at mid or upper elevations in the mountains, often in wet meadows

Description:Lady’s slipper – a perennial herb growing 1-2 feet tall. The stems bear oval leaves up to 8 inches long. A solitary yellowish to purplish-brown flower (April-June) is borne at the tip of a long stalk. One of the petals is transformed into a yellow pouch like structure (the “slipper”).

The bright yellow, moccasin like lip of the flower makes lady’s-slipper easy to recognize when it blooms in spring. Wildflower lovers seek out this beautiful orchid; but with the shrinking of American forested areas, they find that lady’s-slipper, like many other native orchids, is increasingly rare.

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Perennial growing to 1.2m.

It is hardy to zone 0. The flowers are dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required) and are pollinated by Insects.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the  shade. It requires moist soil.

Cultivation: The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Succeeds in ordinary garden soil. Dioecious, male and female plants must be  grown if seed is required.

Propagation: Seed – sow spring in a cold frame and only just cover the seed because it requires light for germination. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant out into their permanent positions in the summer if sufficient growth has been made. If the plants are too  small to plant out, grow them on in the greenhouse or frame for their first winter and plant them out early in the following summer. Division in spring.  Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is best to pot up smaller divisions and grow them on in  light shade in a greenhouse or cold frame until they are growing away well. Plant them out in the summer or the following spring.

Collection  and Harvestion:
Lady’s slipper is a protected plant in the United Kingdom and so should never be collected if found wild.

Constituents :
Lady’s slipper is poorly researched, but it is known to contain a volatile oil, resins, glucosides, and tannins.

Medicinal Actions & Uses:
Antispasmodic; Carminative; Diuretic; Hypnotic; Nervine; Sedative; Stimulant.

American Valerian is a well-known and frequently used medicinal herb that has a long and proven history of efficacy. It is noted especially for its effect as a tranquilliser and nervine, particularly for those people suffering from nervous overstrain. Valerian has been shown to encourage sleep, improve sleep quality and reduce blood pressure. It is also used internally in the treatment of painful menstruation, cramps, hypertension, irritable bowel syndrome etc. It should not be prescribed for patients with liver problems. Externally, it is used to treat eczema, ulcers and minor injuries. The root is antispasmodic,  carminative, diuretic, hypnotic, powerfully nervine, sedative and stimulant. The active ingredients are called valepotriates, research has confirmed that  these have a calming effect on agitated people, but are also a stimulant in cases of fatigue. The roots of 2 year old plants are harvested in the autumn once  the leaves have died down and are used fresh or dried. The fresh root is about 3 times as effective as roots dried at 40° (the report does not specify if  this is centigrade or fahrenheit), whilst temperatures above 82° destroy the active principle in the root. Use with caution, see the notes above on toxicity.

The roots of several varieties, the principal being Cypripedium pubescens and Cyprepedium parviflorum, are employed in hysteria, being a gentle, nervous  stimulant and antispasmodic, less powerful than Valerian.

American Valerian is official in the United States Pharmacopoeia for the production of a fluid extract. Cypridenin is a complex, resinoid substance, obtained  by precipitating with water a concentrated tincture of the rhizome.

Preparations and Dosages:  Powdered root, 1 drachm. Fluid extract, 1/2 to 1 drachm. Cypripedin, 1 to 3 grains. Solid extract alc., 5 to 10 grains.

Lady’s Slipper is a pungent, bittersweet herb with an unpleasant odor and thrives in moist, humus-rich soil in an open or shady situation, growing to about two feet in height.  Like many other native orchids, Lady’s Slipper is becoming increasingly rare, and its history as an ornamental is as rich as its distinguished medicinal past.  The plant was widely employed by Native Americans as a tranquilizer, and the early settlers found that it was a good substitute for the garden heliotrope (Valerian) that women and children had used as a sedative in Europe.  They began to refer to the plant as American Valerian, and by the mid-nineteenth century, doctors were prescribing the root for hysteria, delirium, irritability, epilepsy and neuralgia.   Although called American Valerian, because of its calming properties, Lady’s Slipper is less potent than Valerian, and the roots of several varieties of this plant (Cypridedium pubescens/ larger and Cypridedium parviflorum/ smaller) were included in the United States Pharmacopoeia from 1863 to 1916. Lady’s Slipper is a complex resinoid substance and includes cypridenin.

Other Uses
Incense.

The dried root has been used as an incense

Due to its scarcity and cost, lady’s slipper is now used on a small scale. A sedative and relaxing herb, lady’s slipper treats anxiety, stress-related  disorders such as palpitations, headaches, muscular tension; panic attacks, and neurotic conditions generally. Like valerian, lady’s slipper is an effective  tranquilizer. Lady’s slipper reduces emotional tension and often calms the mind sufficiently to allow sleep. Indeed, its restorative effect appears to be  more positive than that of valerian.

Disclaimer:The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider .

Resources:

http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/v/valame02.html

http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Valeriana+sitchensis

http://www.herbs2000.com/herbs/herbs_ladys_slipper.htm

http://www.viable-herbal.com/singles/Herbs/s537.htm

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