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Ophrys apifera Huds.

Bee orchid (en), Ophrys abeille (fr), Ophrys Abeille (fr)

Species

Angiosperms > Asparagales > Orchidaceae > Ophrys

Characteristics

A ground orchid. It grows 15-60 cm high. It is higher in moist ground. The leaves at the base are oval or sword shaped and blunt. The stem leaves are similar but smaller. There are 2-7 flowers on each stalk. The flowers are 2.5 cm across. The sepals are pink or purple with the mid vein green. The petals are green or purple and almost triangle shaped. They are less than one third the length of the sepals. The lip is 10-13 mm long and brown or purple. It has 3 lobes and the central lobe has the tip bent backwards.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination autogamy
Spread anemochory
Mature width (meter) - 0.1
Mature height (meter) 0.23 - 0.5
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway c3

Environment

Pastures, field borders, banks and copses on chalk or limestone, especially on recently disturbed soils; also on base-rich clays and calcareous dunes.
More
It prefers dry to moist grassland and wasteland between sea level and 1600 m altitude.
Light 4-8
Soil humidity 1-6
Soil texture 1-6
Soil acidity 4-8
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 7-9

Usage

Uses medicinal
Edible roots tubers
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Plants are grown from tubers.
Mode divisions seedlings tubers
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Habit

Ophrys apifera habit picture by waness (cc-by-sa)
Ophrys apifera habit picture by Ludovic Stroobants (cc-by-sa)
Ophrys apifera habit picture by Bruno Vanstaevel (cc-by-sa)

Leaf

Ophrys apifera leaf picture by Valérie (cc-by-sa)
Ophrys apifera leaf picture by Ludovic Stroobants (cc-by-sa)
Ophrys apifera leaf picture by Rinusz (cc-by-sa)

Flower

Ophrys apifera flower picture by Yannick Chevrier (cc-by-sa)
Ophrys apifera flower picture by Monika Middeke (cc-by-sa)
Ophrys apifera flower picture by nick dub (cc-by-sa)

Fruit

Ophrys apifera fruit picture by grutz (cc-by-sa)
Ophrys apifera fruit picture by Rinusz (cc-by-sa)
Ophrys apifera fruit picture by Rinusz (cc-by-sa)

Distribution

Ophrys apifera world distribution map, present in Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, Algeria, Spain, France, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Iraq, Italy, Libya, Morocco, Netherlands, Palau, Portugal, Romania, Turks and Caicos Islands, and Tunisia

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:647746-1
WFO ID wfo-0000257401
COL ID 6SQPH
BDTFX ID 45064
INPN ID 110335
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR) Link

Synonyms

Ophrys apifera f. flavescens Ophrys apifera f. almaracensis Ophrys apifera f. belgarum Ophrys apifera f. brevilabellata Ophrys apifera f. fulvofusca Ophrys apifera f. patinata Arachnites apifera Ophrys apifera Ophrys botteronii Ophrys jurana Ophrys purpurea Ophrys saraepontana Ophrys trollii Orchis apifera Orchis holoserica Orchis pseudoapifera Ophrys albiflora Ophrys x epeirophora Orchis oestrifera Ophrys chlorantha Ophrys apifera f. basiliensis Ophrys apifera f. curviflora Ophrys apifera f. friburgensis Ophrys apifera f. chodatii Ophrys apifera f. aurita Ophrys apifera f. pauciflora Ophrys mangini Ophrys apifera f. bicolor Ophrys aquisgranensis Ophrys adrachnites Ophrys asilifera Ophrys austriaca Ophrys bicolor Ophrys immaculata Ophrys ripaensis Ophrys rostrata Ophrys integra Ophrys friburgensis Ophrys apifera var. almaracensis Ophrys apifera var. aurita Ophrys apifera subsp. austriaca Ophrys apifera var. belgarum Ophrys apifera var. bicolor Ophrys apifera subsp. botteronii Ophrys apifera var. botteronii Ophrys apifera var. chlorantha Ophrys apifera subsp. chlorantha Ophrys apifera var. flavescens Ophrys apifera var. friburgensis Ophrys apifera subsp. friburgensis Ophrys apifera var. fulvofusca Ophrys apifera var. immaculata Ophrys apifera subsp. jurana Ophrys apifera var. muteliae Ophrys apifera var. tilaventina Ophrys apifera var. trollii Ophrys apifera subsp. trollii Ophrys apifera var. basiliensis Ophrys apifera var. curviflora Ophrys apifera var. purpurea Ophrys apifera var. speciosa Ophrys apifera subsp. muteliae Ophrys apifera subsp. purpurea Ophrys apifera var. brevilabellata Ophrys picta var. oestrifera Ophrys apifera var. subterrostrunca Ophrys apifera var. olimpiadae Ophrys apifera var. filitepala Ophrys apifera var. cordatitepala Ophrys apifera var. austriaca Ophrys apifera var. patinata Ophrys apifera var. saraepontana Ophrys apifera var. laetitiae Ophrys apifera f. botteronii Ophrys apifera f. trollii Ophrys scolopax subsp. oestrifera Ophrys scolopax var. oestrifera Ophrys apifera f. tilaventina Ophrys apifera f. badensis Ophrys apifera f. flaveola Ophrys apifera subsp. trollii Ophrys apifera var. badensis Ophrys apifera var. cambrensis Ophrys apifera var. urbinensis Ophrys apifera var. atrofusca
WorldFloraDB 2024