The only mention of this issue that I could find on the Internet today was
on this page:

http://www.killerplants.com/plant-of...k/20040426.asp
"Lady's slippers differ from the rest of the orchids in having two lateral
anthers and two stigmas. Some taxonomists feel these differences should
place the lady's slippers into a separate and older family in the order
Orchidales."

However, I am pretty sure that I once read another article online that went
into more detail on the evolution of ladyslippers, and on the differences
between them and other orchids, but alas I can't find it again (at least not
today).

Joanna

"J Fortuna" wrote in message
news:GZIBd.31279$h.5982@trnddc04...

I have read somewhere that ladyslippers are the oldest type of orchid, and
that therefore they are in some essential ways different from any other
orchids that evolved differently later -- in other words there are some
characteristics that all other orchids share, but that the ladyslippers do
not have, if I remember correctly. I don't remember the details, but I
will
search for the article online and if I find it I will post a link.

I read another article claiming that the closest non-orchid relative of
the
orchids is the asparagus (I remember the title of the article was "An
Orchid
by Any Other Name: An Asparagus?). I think one of the point was that if
you
look at a spike before the buds have formed, you can see the resemblance.
But then I heard someone else say that some other flowering plant family
is
a closer relative to the orchids. Was it lilies? I think it was, since
peloric cattleyas without lips look like lilies, and isn't the brassavola
nadosa similar to peace lilies, so I could see how they could be distant
relatives.

Joanna

"Al" wrote in message
...
Are ladyslippers in the orchid family?