SPECIES DESCRIPTION
OPHRYS GRAMMICA subsp KNOSSIA
Family and Genus:- See- ORCHIDACEAE
Common Names:- None
Homotypic Synonyms:- None
Meaning:- Ophrys (L) Eye-brow, a name used by the Roman naturalist and
philosopher Pliny.
Grammica (L) From the Grammos mountains of the Pindus range on
the Greek-Albanian border.
Knossia (L) After Knossos Minoan settlement.
General description:- A tall and slender plant.
Stem:-
1) 15-50 cm in height.
Leaves:-
1) Basal, oblong-lanceolate, obtuse, mucronate.
2) Cauline, 1-2, lanceolate, acute.
Flower:-
1) Inflorescence, with up to 10 flowers.
2) Sepals, green-whitish to rosy;
a) median, with its upper part, occasionally curved, inclined towards the
gynostemium.
b) lateral, with a slight convergence inwards, of uniform colour, occasionally
washed violet at the lower half.
3) Petals, lanceolate, usually darker than the sepals, green-yellowish, ochre, olive-
green , brown or violet, pubescent.
4) Labellum, small to small/medium sized, sub-cyclical to trapezoid, very convex
transversally, brown-blackish, reddish or even greenish, occasionally with
edges yellow-greenish and with two little prominences, usually rounded,
occasionally sharp at the base.
5) Speculum, in an H shape or with two vertical lines, gray-silvery, occasionally
bordered by whitish or bluish, that approach the pseudo-eyes.
6) Appendix small, same colour as the edges of the lip. Basal field and stigmatic
cavity greenish to orange washed green, but also pale brown.
7) Specular, surface grayish and pseudo-eyes green often encircled by whitish.
Fruit:-
1) Capsule, dehiscing, by 3 or 6 longitudinal slits.
2) Seeds, numerous, minute, with undifferentiated embryo and no endosperm
Habitat:- Full sun to mid-shade and calcareous, cool substrates, deserted
vineyards, terraces with dry open shrubby vegetation and rocks, road verges, thin
pinewoods (up to 800 m.).
Distribution:- Crete around Knossos, Agia Galini, Souda and the region of Selinos.
Flowering time:- Jan-Apr
Photos by:- Fotis Samaritakis
