Plants and Animals
Calypso bulbosa Calypso or fairy-slipper
Key Characteristics
Very small perennial orchid (10-20 cm) of moist coniferous forests with one oval, basal leaf; flower small, pink to purple, with a pouch crested by yellow hairs.
Status and Rank
US Status: No Status/Not Listed
State Status: T - Threatened (legally protected)
Global Rank: G5 - Secure
State Rank: S2 - Imperiled
Occurrences
| County | Number of Occurrences | Year Last Observed |
|---|---|---|
| Alcona | 1 | 1876 |
| Alger | 3 | 1984 |
| Alpena | 1 | 1908 |
| Antrim | 1 | 1893 |
| Benzie | 1 | 1893 |
| Charlevoix | 6 | 1989 |
| Cheboygan | 1 | 1931 |
| Chippewa | 14 | 2019 |
| Crawford | 2 | 1887 |
| Delta | 4 | 1995 |
| Emmet | 5 | 1985 |
| Gogebic | 2 | 1974 |
| Iron | 1 | 2010 |
| Isabella | 1 | 1892 |
| Keweenaw | 29 | 1994 |
| Leelanau | 3 | 1989 |
| Mackinac | 18 | 2023 |
| Marquette | 2 | 1940 |
| Menominee | 2 | 2005 |
| Montmorency | 1 | 1955 |
| Presque Isle | 3 | 1984 |
| Roscommon | 1 | 1849 |
| Schoolcraft | 3 | 1981 |
Information is summarized from MNFI's database of rare species and community occurrences. Data may not reflect true distribution since much of the state has not been thoroughly surveyed.
Habitat
Occurs in spruce-balsam-cedar swamps, moist coniferous forests with cool soils, and Great Lakes shoreline forests dominated by spruce, cedar, fir, and paper birch. It is especially found on calcareous substrates.
Natural Community Types
- Boreal forest
- Dry northern forest
- Dry-mesic northern forest
- Great lakes barrens
- Limestone bedrock glade
- Rich conifer swamp
- Volcanic bedrock glade
- Volcanic bedrock lakeshore
- Wooded dune and swale complex
For each species, lists of natural communities were derived from review of the nearly 6,500 element occurrences in the MNFI database, in addition to herbarium label data for some taxa. In most cases, at least one specimen record exists for each listed natural community. For certain taxa, especially poorly collected or extirpated species of prairie and savanna habitats, natural community lists were derived from inferences from collection sites and habitat preferences in immediately adjacent states (particularly Indiana and Illinois). Natural communities are not listed for those species documented only from altered or ruderal habitats in Michigan, especially for taxa that occur in a variety of habitats outside of the state.
Natural communities are not listed in order of frequency of occurrence, but are rather derived from the full set of natural communities, organized by Ecological Group. In many cases, the general habitat descriptions should provide greater clarity and direction to the surveyor. In future versions of the Rare Species Explorer, we hope to incorporate natural community fidelity ranks for each taxon.
Associated Plants
White cedar, balsam fir, white and black spruce, ram's head orchid, dwarf lake iris, ebony sedge, beauty sedge, Canada mayflower, starflower, gaywings, twinflower, shrubby cinquefoil, blue-bead lily, goldthread, fly honeysuckle, naked miterwort, and kidney-leaved violet.
Management Recommendations
Likely requires maintenance of an overstory. It is sometimes vulnerable to impacts from photographers. Requires protection of habitat and hydrological regimes.
Survey Methods
Random meander search covers areas that appear likely to have rare taxa, based on habitat and the judgement of the investigator.
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Meander search
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Survey Period: From third week of May to third week of June
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References
Survey References
- Elzinga, C.L., D.W. Salzer, and J.W. Willoughby. 1998. Measuring and Monitoring Plant Populations. The Nature Conservancy and Bureau of Land Management, Denver. BLM Technical Reference 1730-1. 477pp.
- Goff, G.F., G.A. Dawson, and J.J. Rochow. 1982. Site examination for Threatened and Endangered plant species. Environmental Management 6(4): 307-316
- Nelson, J.R. 1984. Rare Plant Field Survey Guidelines. In: J.P. Smith and R. York. Inventory of rare and endangered vascular plants of California. 3rd Ed. California Native Plant Society, Berkeley. 174pp.
- Nelson, J.R. 1986. Rare Plant Surveys: Techniques For Impact Assessment. Natural Areas Journal 5(3):18-30.
- Nelson, J.R. 1987. Rare Plant Surveys: Techniques for Impact Assessment. In: Conservation and management of rare and endangered plants. Ed. T.S. Elias. California Native Plant Society, Sacramento. 8pp.
Technical References
- Case, F.W., Jr. 1987. Orchids of the Western Great Lakes Region. Revised ed. Cranbrook Institute of Science, Bull. 48. 251pp.
- Flora of North America Editorial Committee. 2002. Flora of North America, North of Mexico. Volume 26: Magnoliaphyta: Liliidae: Liliales and Orchidales. Oxford University Press, New York. 723pp.
- Gleason, H. A., and A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. Second edition. The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx. 910pp.
- Gray, A. 1950. Gray's Manual of Botany; eighth ed. Van Nostrand Reinghold, New York. 1632pp.
- Holmgren, N.H. 1998. Illustrated Companion to Gleason and Cronquist's Manual. Illustrations of the vascular plants of Northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. New York Botanical Garden, Bronx. 937pp.
- Luer, C.A. 1975. The Native Orchids of the United States and Canada, Excluding Florida. Native Orchids U.S. & Canada. Barrons Educational Series, Hauppauge.
- Scoggan, H.J. 1978. The Flora of Canada. National Museum of Natural Science Publications Botany 4: 1711pp.
- Voss, E. G. 1972. Michigan Flora. Part I. Gymnosperms and Monocots. Bulletin of the Cranbrook Institute of Science and University of Michigan Herbarium. 488pp.
- Whiting, R.E. and P.M. Catling. 1986. Orchids of Ontario. The CanaColl Foundation, Ottawa. 169pp.