slipper orchid

plural slipper orchids · alternative slipper-orchid

1. Any orchid of the subfamily Cypripedioideae; a lady's slipper.

   Some of the most gothic-looking slipper orchids are found in steamy Sumatra. In the 19th century, when these exotic beauties became known, nurseries and other patrons funded expeditions to bring them into the trade, where breeders got to work creating new varieties.

   2019 April 10, Adrian Higgins, “This florist started caring for ailing orchids on the side. He’s now babysitting 13,000.”, in The Washington Post