Orchids of Crete
Ophrys

The following photos were taken during our holiday in Western Crete in 1998.

Ophrys means eyebrow. The name was given to these orchids by Pliny the Elder because the brown dye from the plants was used to colour eyebrows and hair. The lip of these orchids looks like an insect and indeed the flowers are pollinated by insects trying to mate with them.

Reference books used: "The Orchids of Crete and Karpathos" by Alibertis Antonis, "Europäische Wildorchideen" by Pierre Delforge and Daniel Tyteca, "Wild Flowers of Crete" by George Sfikas and "Farbatlas Mediterrane Pflanzen" by Andreas Bärtels.

	Ophrys scolopax - Woodcock Ophrys - Dictanos Gorge west of Stilos (south of Chania).
Ophrys scolopax subspecies heldreichii - Ladybird Ophrys - Dictanos Gorge.
	Ophrys scolopax subspecies heldreichii (close-up) - Dictanos Gorge.
Ophrys doerfleri - Doerfler's Ophrys - southeast slope of Mt. Jouchtas, south of Arhanes
	Ophrys funerea - Funereal Ophrys - or perhaps Ophrys protofusca - Precocious Brown Ophrys - southeast slope of Mt. Jouchtas, south of Arhanes.
Ophrys mammosa Desfontaines - Breasted Ophrys - growing on the southeast slope of Mt. Jouchtas, south of Arhanes. At first I thought that this was Ophrys cretensis but the petals seem too long and narrow.
	Ophrys tenthredinifera - Sawfly Ophrys - southeast slope of Mt. Jouchtas, south of Arhanes.
Ophrys tenthredinifera (close-up) - southeast slope of Mt. Jouchtas, south of Arhanes.
	Ophrys lutea - Yellow Bea Ophrys - hill behind Minoan ruins at Polyrinia

All photographs are my property and may not be copied or used without my written permission.

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Orchids of Crete
Ophrys