Introduction 



This report reviews the status of Sensitive lady's slipper orchid species ( Cypripedium calceolus 

 var. parviflorum and C. passerinum ) on the Kootenai National Forest (KNF) as a contribution to 

 rangewide conservation planning and Forest-wide biological evaluations. Significant 

 populations of these rare orchids have only recently been documented on the KNF and have been 

 found to occupy unique habitats which face many potential threats. This project was initiated to 

 determine the full ecological and geographical distribution of these species on the Forest in order 

 to set up a framework for their conservation. 



Small yellow lady's slipper ( Cypripedium calceolus var. parviflorum ^ was first documented from 

 the KNF by a 1973 specimen from Dickey Lake. Recent surveys (Chadde 1989, 1991, Hoitsma 

 1992) have located several more populations. Sparrow's egg lady's slipper ( Cypripedium 

 passerinum ) was documented from the KNF for the first time in 1991 by Todd Hoitsma (1992). 

 These species often occur together, along with another Sensitive orchid, round-leaved orchid 

 ( Amerorchis rotundifolia . syn. Orchis rotundifolia ). and usually grow in moist to wet calcareous 

 soils in the ecotones between spruce forest habitats and wetland communities. Known 

 populations of these three orchids are in the Rocky Mountain Trench portion of the KNF on the 

 Fortine District, and additional populations of C calceolus var. parviflorum alone occur in the 

 vicinity of Libby Dam on the Libby Ranger District. A third species of Sensitive lady's slipper, 

 clustered lady's slipper ( Cypripedium fasciculatum ). has not been found on the KNF to date 

 although appropriate habitat may exist. 



This report compiles known information on Cypripedium calceolus var. parviflorum and C 

 passerinum from the literature, from the Biological Conservation Database maintained by 

 MTNHP, and from extensive new field surveys and intensive data collection at select sites. 

 Included is information on classification, pending taxonomic changes, morphology, distribution, 

 biology, and ecology, and a discussion of current threats to populations of these plants and 

 conservation management strategies. Consideration of potential for finding C fasciculatum is 

 included in the Discussion section of this report. Included in appendices are Element Occurrence 

 Records and topographic maps showing the precise locations of populations of sensitive lady's 

 slippers on the KNF, ECODATA from several population sites, and photographic slides of the 

 plants and their habitats. 



