Ophrys blitopertha. A rare and local, eastern Aegean taxon. Similar to O. persephonae, but with a more shallow V at its base, more…

Ophrys bombyliflora. Widespread in the Mediterranean often forming large populations, being the only ophrys spreading through sprouting offshoots. A small plant (5-15cm), with…

Ophrys bornmuelleri A taxon of Cyprus and the Near East, usually found in short grassland near open woodland. A slender but relatively tall…

Ophrys candica ssp. candica. A fairly rare taxon found from southern Italy to the Peloponnese, Crete and Rhodes, and can be confused with…

Ophrys delphinensis. An endemic of Greece found in the northern Peloponnese. It is similar to O. argolica but with a more elongated lip…

      Ophrys elegans.             This is a rare endemic of Cyprus. It is similar to O argolica,       with a generally brown, trilobed…

Ophrys episcopalis. An eastern Mediterranean taxon with pink petals and sepals. Can be found in Crete, and less common in Rhodes and Cyprus.

Ophrys ferrum-equinum. An eastern Mediterranean taxon, and is found throughout Greece. The lip is rarely trilobed, with various ‘horse-shoe’ patterns, with the petals…

Ophrys flavomarginata An early, eastern Mediterranean taxon found in various sites in Cyprus. A relatively short, but robust plant with distinctive patterning on…

Ophrys fusca ssp. calocaerina Found in central Greece it is slightly larger and more robust than O. fusca ssp leucadica, with lateral lobes…

Ophrys fusca ssp. cinereophila. A taxon of the eastern Mediterranean. A slender, early flowering, small plant with a wide yellow margin and a…

Ophrys fusca ssp. funerea. This small-flowered fusca has been named by Delforge, describing the taxon found in Cyprus. Distinguished by its yellow-green sepals…

Ophrys fusca ssp. leucadica A Greek endemic from the western mainland and Ionian islands. The photos are from two sites in the north…

Ophrys fusca ssp. lindia. A rare endemic of the far eastern Aegean, found in Rhodes, Karpathos and this first siting in Chios. A…

Ophrys fusca ssp. sancti-isidorii. A sub-species from the Kalamoti area in Chios. It has green to yellow petals, a strong V shape at…

Ophrys heldreichii ssp. calypsus A taxon of the eastern Aegean, widespread and often abundant.   A robust plant with large flowers, with pink…

Ophrys heldreichii ssp. heldreichii A Greek endemic, found in Crete and the southern Aegean. A robust plant with bracts longer than the flowers…

Ophrys heldreichii ssp. polyxo Considered an endemic of Rhodes and first described in 2005. Excepting the hypochromatic var, sepals and petals range in…

Ophrys holoserica ssp halia A rare taxon considered an endemic of Rhodes. A tall slender plant with often deflexed sepals and petals with…

Ophrys homeri A taxon of the eastern Aegean.  A dark, magenta perianth, with dorsal sepal curving over, with a very dark base, and…

Ophrys iricolor An eastern Mediterranean taxon occurring in southern and central Greece and Cyprus. Distinct features include the purple to blue speculum, with…

Ophrys israelitica From the omegaifera group this name is given by Delforge to the plants in Cyprus. A snall but robust plant often…

Ophrys kotschyi An endemic of Cyprus with distinctive dark violet to black markings on an exceptionally long lip. A green perianth with dorsal…

Ophrys lapethica. An endemic of Cyprus, with sepals pale pink to purple or violet. The pattern rarely exceeds the middle of the speculum,…

Ophrys leochroma. A further splitting of O tenthredinifera by Delforge for deeply coloured plants with narrowing lip, found throughout Greece. All photographs taken…

Ophrys levantina An Eastern Mediterranean taxon found in several locations in Cyprus. Sepals are greenish-white, ther dorsal often turned back, with small, brown…

Ophrys lutea ssp. melena. A controversial taxon, considered an endemic of the southern Balkans. Found specifically in western and central Greece, and in…

Ophrys minutula An endemic of the eastern Aegean islands. Taller, 15-35cm, with pointed lip,  in a more denser inflorescence, and generally later flowered,…

Ophrys oestrifera ssp. cornutula Considered an endemic of Rhodes it has now been established throughout Greece.  A tall and slender plant with long…

Ophrys oestrifera ssp. dodekanensis Considered an endemic of Chios and Rhodes it has now been found in the other islands of the Dodekanese….

Ophrys oestrifera ssp.oestrifera A relatively tall and slender plant distributed from southern Hungary to Iran. It occurs throughout Greece, except in Crete where…

Ophrys oestrifera ssp. oestrifera var alba This small flowered plant was found in 2011 on an orchid-rich site. It’s lateral lobe-like horns, with…

Ophrys omegaifera ssp. fleischmannii. A rare taxon considered an endemic from Crete it has occurred on other Cycladic islands. A small plant with…

Ophrys omegaifera ssp. sitiaca. A very rare, taxon found in the eastern Aegean, and recorded from Crete. Distinguished by the shallow V at…

Ophrys orphanidea Described as a new species by Delforge and Saliaris, but desputed by Petrou. Similar to O. minutula it flowers at the…

Ophrys parosica var phaseliana. An endemic of the eastern Aegean described from Paros. Tufts of hairs make the slightly kinked lip look spotted,…

Ophrys pelinaea. A new named taxon from the eastern Mediterranean with many similarities to the omegaifera group. It has a less distinct W…

Ophrys persephonae. A rare, eastern Mediterranean taxon in the blitopertha group, and found in Rhodes, Chios and Samos. A short, robust plant with…

Ophrys regis ferdinandii A taxon of the eastern Mediterranian often forming large populations. Distinguished by its brightly coloured elongated trilobed lip, and dark…

Ophrys reinholdii. A rather rare eastern Mediterranean species with variously coloured sepals, with distinctive white patterning on a darkened lip.  

Ophrys saliarisii. An endemic of Chios, thought only to be found in three locations. It had existed as a ssp. of O. candica,…

Ophrys schlecteriana. A Greek endemic found in the eastern Peloponnese. Part of the Oestrifera complex it was given species status by P. Delforge,…

Ophrys sicula ssp. phryganae. A taxon of the central and eastern Mediterranean, and occurs throughout Greece. It features a wide, yellow border with…

Ophrys speculum Widespread throughout the Mediterranean, although absent from Crete, often forming large populations. Villous petals and lip, with a unmistakable bright blue…

                                           Eastern Crete. 23.3.17.

Ophrys spruneri A Greek endemic found in the central mainland, Crete, and Ionian islands. It can be variable in the shape and colour…

Ophrys tenthredinifera ssp. tenthredinifera. Another easily identifiable Mediterranean taxon, occurring throughout Greece. This species is presently experiencing further splitting. Petrou considers these to…

This taxon in Cyprus is now also called Ophrys morio.

Ophrys umbilicata ssp. attica. This taxon is now called Ophrys astarte in Cyprus. It may be confused with O. umbilicata ssp. umbilicata, but…

Ophrys umbilicata ssp. bucephala An initial endemic of Lesvos, now found in Chios and Turkey. A short and robust plant, with whitish-green sepals,…

Ophrys umbilicata ssp rhodia (Cyprus) A rare taxon appearing in Rhodes, Karpathos, and Cyprus. A short, but robust plant with a dense inflorescence….

Ophrys umbilicata ssp rhodia (Cyprus) A rare taxon appearing in Rhodes, Karpathos, and Cyprus. A short, but robust plant with a dense inflorescence….

Ophrys umbilicata ssp. umbilicata This taxon can be found throughout the eastern Mediterranean. A generally short but robust flower with small flowers and…

Ophrys villosa ssp. sanctae-marcellae A new subspecies given to the Ophrys villosa found in Chios and other Aegean Islands. It’s characteristics are a…