OPHRYS MESARITICA

Family and Genus:- See- ORCHIDACEAE

Common Names:- Early rainbow orchid

Homotypic Synonyms:- None

Meaning:- Ophrys (L) Eye-brow, a name used by the Roman naturalist and

philosopher Pliny.

Mesaritica (L) From the Mesara plain C. Crete.

General description:- Extremely earIy flowering, slim plant.

Stem:-

1) Height, 15-25 (-45).

Leaves:-

1) Basal, oblong-lanceolate, obtuse, mucronate.

2) Cauline, 1-2, lanceolate, acute.

Flowers:-

1) Sepals, 6-9 mm., green and often bordered in light brown.

2) Labellum, 12-19 mm; 3-Iobed, flat with slight indenting, and browner in colour,

edges sometimes bordered with a slight smattering of yellow. blazon, greyish

and slightly shiny. base, yellowish, underside of the lip dark reddish-brown with a

greenish-white centre. stimatic cavity, lower and measures, 3.2-5.2 x 0.7-2 mm

Fruit:-

1) Capsule, dehiscing, by 3 or 6 longitudinal slits.

2) Seeds, numerous, minute, with undifferentiated embryo and no endosperm.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- In open, grazed land, also in very bushy dry open shrubby vegetation

Distribution:- Possibly Tunisia and in Malta. In Crete it grows in the general area of

Messara and Asterousia, as well as at Akrotiri Chania. Rare.

Flowering time:- Jan-Feb

Photos by:- Laurence Fazan