In winter, cold dim days are slight punctuation for long
nights; things in the forest are at rest.
Some twelve thousand years ago a cool damp clime held the
northern Great Plains in a richly speciated tapestry of Spruce trees (Picea glauca), Twinflower (Linnaea
borealis), Stair-step moss (Hylocomium
spendens) and the like. Today, while most of that Spruce forest has
retreated to more northern latitudes, certain elevations along with often
steeply pitched and northerly aspects create the cool dampness that allows the
great boreal spruce forest to linger here in the Black Hills of western South
Dakota as a refugium.
In winter, these special spots hold a little more snow, a
little more cold, and the promise of something amazing. It is the Fairy slipper
orchid, Calypso bulbosa. Over the winter and early spring only a
single ragged leaf sprung the summer before is evidence of the magic to
come. In late May and early June, an
energetic shoot bursts forth past the weathered leaf, erupting into a charming
purply-pink gem. Tiny stripes of red and
white decorate its throat in celebration of a brief time in a dark forest.
In winter, these special spots hold a little more snow, a
little more cold, and the promise of something amazing. It is the Fairy slipper
orchid, Calypso bulbosa. Over the winter and early spring only a
single ragged leaf sprung the summer before is evidence of the magic to
come. In late May and early June, an
energetic shoot bursts forth past the weathered leaf, erupting into a charming
purply-pink gem. Tiny stripes of red and
white decorate its throat in celebration of a brief time in a dark forest.
The name ‘Calypso’
comes from the Greek word meaning ‘concealment’ a reference to the sheltered
and somewhat hidden areas where they grow.
‘Bulbosa’ refers to the tiny bulb-like corm from which it grows.
As with all wild
orchids, transplanting should never be attempted.
~ Mary
Calypso bulbosa
From my series of Native Orchids of the Black Hills – this is an original relief print ~ 6” x 11” ~ printed
from multiple hand-cut linoleum blocks, and signed as a numbered edition of
100. Made using archival ink on Okawara
MM neutral pH paper and printed on a Whelan Pro Press at Green Ink Gallery
& Studios in the Black Hills near Nemo ,
South Dakota
Artist and amateur botanist, Mary Wipf lives and works in
the Black Hills of South Dakota creating drawings, collages, fine marbled
papers and silks, and original prints.
All materials and pigments used meet the
highest archival standards.
Green Ink Gallery & Studios • happily by
appointment
605 342-2552 • www.greeninkgalleryandstudios.com
.Mary Wipf & Mark Zimmerman – artists:
paintings, drawings, original prints, and
fine marbled silks & papers
Vies more posts from the orchid series...
Corallorhiza maculata: http://greeninkseen.blogspot.com/2010/12/thing-of-beauty.html
Cypripedium parviflorum: http://greeninkseen.blogspot.com/2011/12/amazing-thing.html
Calypso bulbosa: http://greeninkseen.blogspot.com/2014/12/it-takes-forest.html
Listera convallarioides: http://greeninkseen.blogspot.com/2012/06/small-thing.html
