Orchids of Crete
Orchis

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

Orchis is Greek for testicle; the name comes from the shape of the root. In some groups of orchis, the flowers look like little men (Orchis masculata) or like monkeys (Orchis simia).

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..

.

Orchis laxiflora

Orchis laxiflora? - Lax-flowered Orchid? - growing near the Imbros gorge.

Orchis papilionacea? - Pink Butterfly Orchid? - growing on the southeast slopes of Mt. Jouchtas, south of Arhanes.

Orchis papilionacea
Orchis pauiflora tenore
Orchis pauciflora tenore - Sparcely-flowered Orchid - (close-up) growing on the southeast slopes of Mt. Jouchtas, south of Arhanes.

Orchis pauciflora tenore - Sparcely-flowered Orchid - growing on the southeast slopes of Mt. Jouchtas, south of Arhanes.

Orchis pauciflora tenore

Orchis quadripuncta

Orchis quadripuncta - Four-spotted Orchid - growing on the southeast slope of Mt. Jouchtas, south of Arhanes.

Orchis quadripuncta - Four-spotted Orchid - growing on the southeast slope of Mt. Jouchtas, south of Arhanes.

Orchis quadripuncta

Orchis italica

Orchis italica - Wavy-leaved Monkey Orchid - growing at the Roman graves near Gavalohori (east of Chania).

Orchis italica - Wavy-leaved Monkey Orchid - at the Minoan necropolis near Armenni, south of Rethymnon.

Orchis italica

Orchis simia

Orchis simia - Monkey Orchid - at the Roman wells near Gavalohori (east of Chania). Cyclamen creticum in the background. Could it be orchis italica? or a hybrid?

Orchis simia - Monkey Orchid - growing in the Dictanos Gorge, west of Stilos (south of Chania). Could it be orchis italica? or a hybrid?

Orchis simia

Orchis simia - close-up

Orchis simia - Monkey Orchid - (close-up) - Dictanos Gorge.

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

Return to Orchids of Crete Homepage

Link to Crete

November 19, 2013
©copyright 1998, 2004 Vicki Sherwood

This page is http://www.sherwoodonline.de/orchids-crete/orchis.html