Growing in small tufts, 4—10 inches high, pale, glaucous. Leaves stiff and very slender about half the length of the taller scapes, equalling the shorter ones. Spathe small purplish or green, often partly double and enclosing 3 or 4 small bright violet-blue flowers, less than half an inch broad, on erect pedicels. Throughout the Rockies in open moist ground at the lower elevations; flowering in June. ORCHIDACEÆ _Orchid Family_ Perennial herbs, with corms, bulbs, or tuberous roots, sheathing entire leaves, sometimes reduced to scales, the flowers perfect, irregular, bracted, solitary, spiked or racemed. Perianth superior of 6 segments, the 3 outer (sepals) similar or nearly so, 2 of the inner ones (petals) lateral, alike; the third inner one (lip) dissimilar, often markedly so, usually larger and often spurred; stamens and style variously arranged. An extensive family with great diversity of flower form, and habit of growth. Most abundant in the tropics, represented in the region as follows: Perfect anthers 2; lip large, sac-like. =Cypripedium.= Perfect anther 1. Plants saprophytic, without green herbage. =Corallorhiza.= Plants with ordinary green herbage. Flower and leaf solitary; root bulbous. =Cytherea.= Flowers several to many in racemes. Leaf only 1. Flowers white with purple spots. =Orchis.= Flowers greenish. =Lysiella.= Leaves only 2, cauline. =Ophrys.= Leaves more than 2. Stem leaves reduced to bracts. Basal leaves white veined. =Peramium.= Stem leaves not reduced to bracts. Flowers not spirally arranged. Glands surrounded by a thin membrane. =Cœloglossum.= Glands naked. =Limnorchis.= Flowers spirally arranged. =Ibidium.= [Illustration: _a_ Cypripedium passerinum Rich. Small White Lady’s Slipper.] [Illustration: _b_ Cypripedium parviflorum Salisb. Small Yellow Lady’s Slipper. (⅔Nat.)] [Sidenote: =Cypripedium passerinum= Rich. _Small White Lady’s Slipper._] Stem 8—10 inches high from a decumbent base, leafy, hairy throughout. Leaves 4 or 5, lanceolate, acuminate, veiny, 3—4 inches long, yellowish-green, and clasping at the base. Flowers solitary, small; lip obovate, inflated half an inch long, white, spotted with purple inside, particularly near the base; sepals greenish, shorter than the lip, the upper forming a sort of hood; the lateral petals white, oblong-lanceolate, obtuse, half an inch long, spreading. In damp shaded situations, frequent in the Rockies; flowers in July. [Sidenote: =Cypripedium parviflorum= Salisb. _Small Yellow Lady’s Slipper._]