Cypripedium is a genus of 47 species of hardy, lady's-slipper orchids native to temperate and colder regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Some grow in the tundra in Alaska and Siberia, which is an unusually cold habitat for orchids. They can withstand extreme cold, growing under the snow and blooming when the snow melts. But, in the wild, most have become rare and close to extinction, due to an ever shrinking natural habitat and overcollection. In the late 20th century, only a single plant of Cypripedium calceolus survived in Britain. Common names include slipper orchid, lady's slipper, mocassin flower, camel's foot, squirrel foot, steeple cap, Venus' shoes and whippoorwill shoe.