Ophrys speculum ssp. lusitanica - Mirror orchid subspecies lusitanica - Ophrys vernixia - (Orchidaceae)

The exotic-looking Mirror orchid is very common throughout the Mediterranean coastal region except for France and Crete, where it is rare. The subspecies, lusitanica, also known as the Lusitanica Orchid, is much less common and has a fragmented distribution centred in the Algarve region of Portugal. It is known to occur in the Extremadura region of Spain. It is sometimes referred to as Ophrys vernixia.

Ophrys speculum ssp. lusitanica close up

It flowers slightly later than Ophrys speculum - from the end of March to the beginning of May. Its appearance is quite different from Ophrys speculum, with the 'mirror' being less glossy and not as suffused with violet. The side lobes of the lip are straight and obliquely divergent from the central lobe and the outer margin of the lip has a fringe of brown-to-orange hairs.

Ophrys speculum ssp. lusitanica whole plant

This specimen shown here was photographed close to the coast in the Algarve in Portugal in April.