Ophrys umbilicata explained

Ophrys umbilicata is a species of orchid found from Albania to Iran, including Greece, Israel, Lebanon, Turkey and Cyprus.^[1]

Description

Ophyrys umbilicata is a perennial, erect, glabrous herb, 10–20 cm high. Leaves alternate, simple, entire, thick, narrowly elliptic with parallel nerves. Flowers spirally arranged on top of the shoot, sepals 10-15 x 6–9 mm, petals small. Labellum broader on other half 9–12 mm, 3-dentate on the apex, purple-blackish. Flowers March–April. Fruit a capsule. Habitat garigue, Maquis and open pine woodlands at 0–600 m altitude.^[2]

Subspecies

At present (May 2014), 7 subspecies are recognized:^[1]

• Ophrys umbilicata subsp. beerii Shifman - Palestine
• Ophrys umbilicata subsp. bucephala (Gölz & H.R.Reinhard) Biel - Turkey and the Greek islands
• Ophrys umbilicata subsp. calycadniensis Perschke - Turkey
• Ophrys umbilicata subsp. flavomarginata (Renz) Faurh. - Cyprus, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine
• Ophrys umbilicata subsp. lapethica (Gölz & H.R.Reinhard) Faurh. - Cyprus
• Ophrys umbilicata subsp. latakiana (M.Schönfelder & H.Schönfelder) Faurh. & H.A.Pedersen - Turkey, Syria
• Ophrys umbilicata subsp. umbilicata - from Albania to Iran

Notes and References

1. Web site: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
2. The Endemic Plants of Cyprus, Texts: Takis Ch. Tsintides, Photographs: Laizos Kourtellarides, Cyprus Association of Professional Foresters, Bank of Cyprus Group, Nicosia 1998,