Cypripedium compactum Schlechter; C. corrugatum Franchet; C. corrugatum var. obesum Franchet; C. lanuginosum Schlechter; C. macranthos Swartz var. tibeticum (King ex Rolfe) Kraenzlin.

Plants 15-35 cm tall, with a stout, rather short rhizome. Stem erect, glabrous or pubescent near upper nodes, with several sheaths at base and 3 or rarely 2 or 4 leaves above. Leaf blade elliptic, ovate-elliptic, or broadly elliptic, 8-16 × 3-9 cm, glabrous or sparsely puberulent, minutely ciliate, apex acute, acuminate, or obtuse. Inflorescence terminal, with 1 flower, usually appearing before full development of leaves; floral bracts foliaceous, elliptic to ovate-lanceolate, 6-11 × 2-5 cm, apex acute or acuminate; pedicel and ovary 2-3 cm, glabrous or occasionally slightly pubescent toward apex. Flower large, nodding; sepals and petals white or yellow, boldly striped with purple to deep maroon; lip purple or dark maroon, usually with a white-margined rim. Dorsal sepal elliptic or ovate-elliptic, 3-6 × 2.5-4 cm, abaxially glabrous or occasionally sparsely puberulent, ± minutely ciliate, apex acuminate, acute, or mucronulate; synsepal similar to dorsal sepal, but slightly shorter and narrower, apex shallowly 2-lobed. Petals lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, 3.5-6.5 × 1.5-2.5 cm, with very conspicuous veins, densely pubescent toward adaxial base, sparsely minutely ciliate, apex acuminate or acute; lip deeply pouched, subglobose to ellipsoid, 4-6 × 4-5.5 cm, outer surface often wrinkled, inner bottom hairy. Staminode ovate-oblong, 1.5-2 × 0.8-1.2 cm, abaxially ± keeled, base subsessile. Fl. May-Aug. 2n = 20.

Cypripedium froschii Perner (Orchidee Beih., Deutsch. Orchid. Ges. 6: 10. 1999), collected from Lijiang, Yunnan, appears to be a natural hybrid between C. tibeticum and C. yunnanense, both of which are native to Lijiang. Its flower is similar to that of C. yunnanense but much larger.

Sparse forests, forest margins, scrubby slopes, grassy slopes, stony places; 2300-4200 m. S Gansu, W Guizhou, W Sichuan, E and S Xizang, W Yunnan [Bhutan, India (Sikkim)].