Cypripedium elegans, a new record species of Orchidaceae plant in Sichuan Province, China

This paper reported that Cypripedium elegans, a newly recorded species of Cypripedium plant in Sichuan Province, was discovered in Gongga Mountain of the Great Snow Mountain Range and Xiling Snow Mountain of the Qionglai Range, from June to July in 2025. The voucher specimen was deposited in the herbarium of Sichuan Academy of Forestry. The morphological characteristics, distribution and habitat of C. elegans were described, and corresponding illustrations were provided. This new discovery not only enriched the diversity of Cypripedium plants in Sichuan Province, but also had strong guiding significance in the study of the origin, diffusion and protection of Cypripedium plants.