Yellow-edged Bee Orchid

Description:

This particular spotting is hard to define: whether it is a separate species, a subspecies or just an unusual colour variant is still undecided and rather controversial. I have termed it Ophrys flavimarginata, but many scientists also consider it a subspecies of Ophrys umbilicata, some think there is no difference at all between the two, and some keep the term flavomarginata for the orchid endemic for Cyprus and have designated this one a species in itself -- Ophrys latilabris. We are still waiting for results of genetic analysis which will properly help us to understand this unusual orchid better than mere morphology.

Habitat:

Mediterranean garrigue