SPECIES INFORMATION 

 A. CLASSIFICATION 



1. SCIENTIFIC NAME: Cypripedium passerinum 

 Richardson. 



2. SYNONYM: Cvpripedilum passerinum Pfitz. 



3. COMMON NAME: Sparrow' s-egg Lady • s-slipper . 



4. FAMILY: Orchidaceae (Orchid family). 



5. GENUS: The genus C ypripedium contains between 

 twenty and thirty species, distributed in 

 temperate and cold regions of North America, Asia, 

 and Europe (Williams and Williams 1983) . 



6. SPECIES: Cypripedium passerinum is one of ten 

 species in the genus occurring in North America 

 north of Mexico (Williams and Williams 1983) . In 

 Montana, it is one of four species reported for 

 the genus; the other species include C. calceolus, 

 C. fasciculatum . and C. montanum (Dorn 1984) . 



B. PRESENT LEGAL OR OTHER FORMAL STATUS 



1. FEDERAL STATUS 



a. U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE: None. 



b. U.S. FOREST SERVICE: Cypripedium passerinum 

 is currently included on the list of 

 sensitive plant species for Region 1 

 (Northern Region) of the U.S. Forest Service. 

 Agency objectives and policy in the 1984 

 Forest Service Manual provide for the 

 management and protection of sensitive 

 species (Section 2670.32). Under these 

 guidelines, the U.S. Forest Service is to 

 "(a) void or minimize impacts to species whose 

 viability has been identified as a concern" 



(2670.32.3). 



2. STATE: Cypripedium passerinum is currently listed 

 by the Montana Natural Heritage Program (Shelly 

 1988) as "imperiled in the state" (state rank = 

 S2) . It is listed as "rare" in Montana (limited 

 to a restricted geographic range, or occurring 

 sparsely in restricted habitats over a wider area) 

 by the Montana Rare Plant Project (Lesica et al. 

 1984) . 



