Rare lady's-slipper orchid photographed in Romania’s Putna Vrancea Natural Park

The beautiful lady's-slipper orchid (Cypripedium calceolus), a rare wild flower protected by law, was recently photographed in Romania's Putna Vrancea Natural Park.

Romanian forest management company Romsilva shared the photos on Facebook.

This special flower can grow up to 80 cm tall. It has oval leaves and large flowers with lower petals shaped like some kind of "vessel" of an intense yellow, Romsilva explained. The upper petals are narrower, usually dark red or brown. It blooms in forest meadows in hilly and mountainous areas, in places with high humidity.

Putna Vrancea Natural Park is one of the 22 national and natural parks managed by Romsilva. It is located in Vrancea county and covers over 38,000 hectares.

The park is home to many species of mammals, including the bear, the wolf, the lynx, the black goat, the fox, the badger, the marten, the deer, the otter, the wild cat or the wild boar. Moreover, about 110 species of birds, of which 75 are protected, have their habitat here, while the flora consists of approximately 650 higher plants.

(Photo source: Facebook/Romsilva)