fairy slipper; Calypso bulbosa
A small orchid species native to cool regions; in Japan often refers to the variety Calypso bulbosa var. speciosa.
The fairy slipper can be found in the damp forests of Hokkaido.
On this mountain, fairy slippers bloom in spring.
Katakana spelling is common for this plant name; usually written in kana.
Kanji spelling is rare and mostly seen in botanical contexts; the plant is normally written in kana.
The name 布袋蘭 (ホテイラン) likely comes from the shape of the flower resembling the bag of Hotei (布袋), one of the Seven Lucky Gods, combined with 蘭 (らん, 'orchid').