CALYPSO 



Cytherea bulbosa (Linnaeus) House 



In mountain woods, where pine needles cover the ground and pre- 

 serve the moisture underneath, the dainty calypso is often found, and 

 is a joy to recall ever after. This lovely little orchid, waving with each 

 passing breath of wind, is poised on a slender stem that seems too del- 

 icate to support its weight. The tiny bulb, barely half an inch thick, 

 is much valued by the Indians of Alberta in spring as a delicious mor- 

 sel, comparable to new potatoes. 



Calypso is a cool-climate plant, and occurs chiefly in the far north, 

 or at high altitudes southward. It apparently survived the glacial 

 period in the southern Rocky Mountains, in Arizona and New Mex- 

 ico. Since the ice retreated it has been able to push northward as far 

 as Labrador and Alaska. It is still found in the eastern United States in 

 northern New York, Vermont, and Maine. 



The specimen sketched was found in Glacier National Park, Mon- 

 tana. 



PLATE IO5 



