The specific epithet galilea refers to the Galilee region of Israel, where this orchid was first recorded. The genus name Ophrys comes from Greek and means 'eyebrow' - a reference to the hairy fringe of the lip of the flower of many orchids in this genus. The plants shown on this page were photographed in Crete at the beginning of April. This orchid flowers from the end of March to the beginning of May. It is the wide variation in the appearance of some Ophrys species that makes identification so problematic. galilaea shows the 'swallow tail' at the base of the brown centre of the lip and the bumpy appearance of the speculum. This orchid grows in open sunny positions in the stony areas with alkalkine soils often referred to as garrigue, littoral or, in Greece, the phrygana.Ī flower of Ophrys lutea subsp. The flowers stand out strongly from the stem. Remarks: Orchis pallens x Orchis provincialis x Orchis mascula ssp. The speculum is usually dull grey-to-blue and somehwat 'bumpy' in appearance, particularly at the base where it emerges from the stigmatic cavity. The lip has a brown centre which often terminates at the tip with a shape resembling a swallow tail. The sepals are green and the petals yellowish-green. The plant grows up to 25cm tall but is often smaller, and the lax inforescence carries between 2 - 10 flowers. In some central and eastern parts of its range Ophrys galilaea flowers alongside Ophrys lutea adding to the confusion with accurate identification. Its attractive flower has a much browner lip with a yellow 'stripe' running along the outer edges. It is often referred to simply as Ophrys melena. In the southern Balkans, Greece, Crete and Corfu another similar-looking orchid has been recorded and is recognised as a subspecies of Ophrys lutea - Ophrys lutea subsp. lutea and has been given a number of different names which include Ophrys phryganae and Ophrys sicula. 2 Supplementary Information), the formerly monospecific Orchis ( Aceras) anthropophora shows a reticulatefragmentimurate exine. In other parts of Europe this smaller flowered yellow bee orchid is more common than O. In the newly circumscribed genus Orchis (s.s. galilaea is very rare in the Algarve region of Portugal, where the larger Ophrys lutea is very common and widespread. This orchid is very similar in appearance to Ophrys lutea although the plants and their flowers are significantly smaller. Phylum: Magnoliophyta - Class: Liliopsida - Order: Orchidales - Family: Orchidaceae galilaea - Small-flowered Yellow Bee-orchid
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |