Nature Notes - The Mallorca Pages

Orchidaceae - Ophrys
 

c 19 mm across red-striped sepals (= top L fl in pic on left)

Ophrys speculum, the Mirror Orchid.  Only seen once, on a roadside verge.  I think I was a bit early for this species and was lucky to find one in flower before I left.
 

c 1.6 cm across spreading sepals

c 2.2 cm across spreading sepals

Hood c 12 mm across at widest

Ophrys fusca, the Brown Bee Orchid.  Very common on roadsides and grassy places or woodland clearings.  When I arrived it had already been flowering for some time and there were many flowers that were past it, like the one on the right.  As the flowers are very variable I couldn't always tell whether an unusual one was in its prime or faded, but I think the middle picture is a genuine variant.  The first picture shows the commonest form.  The plants only have a few flowers per stem, and sometimes only one.
 

Height of plant c 30 cm

Width across spreading sepals c 3 cm

Ophrys bertolonii, Bertoloni's Bee Orchid.  Only seen once, towards end of visit, probably its flowering period was just starting.  On roadside verge.
 

Top open flower c 3 cm across speadng sepals

c 2.5 cm across spreading sepals

Ophrys tenthredinifera, the Sawfly Orchid.  Seen on 3 or 4 occasions, on road verges or beside paths.
 

c 20 mm across spreading green sepals

Ophrys bombyliflora, the Bumblebee Orchid.  Quite frequently met with, small and difficult to see in grass, but conspicuous when in bare ground.  Forms large colonies, RH pic shows a part of one of these.  Often just one or two flowers per stem.