2. Montana distribution: There are now at least 55 occurrences of Cypripedium calceolus 

 var. parviflorum entered in the Biological Conservation Database (Figure 1 inset). These 

 are all in the western half of the state in Flathead (1 1 occurrences), Gallatin (4), Granite 

 (1), Judith Basin (1), Lake (8), Lewis and Clark (5), Lincoln (15), Missouia (3), Park (1), 

 Stillwater (1), Sweet Grass (1), and Teton (4) counties (Figure 1 inset). Eleven of these 

 occurrences, including all records from Gallatin, Granite, Park, Stillwater, and Sweet 

 Grass counties, are historical, represented only by pre- 1950 collections. The area of the 

 Granite County occurrence has been surveyed and the population is believed to be 

 extirpated (Heidel 1992). These numbers do not include possible 1995 discoveries 

 outside the KNF. 



3. Occurrences on the Kootenai National Forest 



a. Current sites: There are now 1 5 populations of Cypripedium calceolus var. parviflorum 

 known on the KNF with subpopulations on adjacent lands which are private or 

 administered by the Army Corps of Engineers. Twelve of these populations are on the 

 Fortine Ranger District in the Rocky Mountain Trench portion of* the Forest and three are 

 on the Libby Ranger District near Libby Dam (Figure 1). Five of these occurrences were 

 discovered for the first time in 1995, and one at Libby Dam (040) was previously known 

 but had not been reported to MTNHP and had not been known to extend onto KNF land. 

 Element Occurrence Records and topographic maps showing the precise locations of 

 these populations are provided in Appendix A. 



b. Historical sites: none 



c. Unverified/undocumented reports: Four reports of unidentified Cypripedium species 

 were found by Forest Service personnel (M. Lolly, pers. commun.) or myself to be the 

 relatively common C montanum . These include plants at Alexander Creek (T3 IN R30W 

 S24), Elk Creek (T26N R28 W S14), Severn Gulch (T30N R30W S22), and in the 

 drainage of Wolf Creek (T29N R28W S28), all on the Libby District. Another 

 unidentified report (G. Heslink, pers. commun.) was surveyed on private land at the base 

 of Yaak Mountain (T33N R33W S31) and may extend upstream onto KNF land. The 

 plants were past flowering at the survey date but the presence of more than two fruits per 

 stem and wide leaves suggest that they are Cypripedium montanum : however, the 

 presence of Cypripedium calceolus var. parviflorum in this vicinity should not by ruled 

 out because the bed of the small stream there is heavily laden with calcium. 



d. Areas surveyed but species not located: The following areas were searched for 

 sensitive Cypripedium species, but none were found. Especially significant is the absence 

 of these orchids over large areas with calcareous soils, indicated by land types 323, 324 

 and especially 325 (Kuennen and Gerhardt 1984), in creek and draw bottoms and adjacent 

 to wetlands on the Fortine and Rexford Districts; many of these habitats seem appropriate 

 for these orchids but are heavily impacted by cattle grazing. The following list is 

 arranged by Ranger District and site names. The legal description is given to the 

 precision of section. Searches were concentrated in the creek and draw bottoms and 

 around lakeshores and wetlands. When land ownership is other than KNF it is noted. 



