Ophrys apifera var.trollii - Wasp Orchid - (Orchidaceae)

This strange variant of the Bee Orchid (Ophrys apifera ) has a rather pointed lip which is greenish yellow and mottled with brown markings. It puts in an occasional appearance throughout the range of the Bee Orchid, and plants with pale, almost white sepals also occur from time to time.

Wasp Orchid

Picture by kind permission of Anne Horsfall

The Wasp Orchid can be found in France and Cyprus and is also recorded from Rhodes. It flowers from April to May, and the specimen shown on this page was photographed in Cyprus.