Ophrys cretica

Ophrys cretica
In habitat in Rhodes
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Orchidaceae
Subfamily:	Orchidoideae
Genus:	Ophrys
Species:	O. cretica
Binomial name
Ophrys cretica (Vierh.) E.Nelson [1]
Synonyms [1]
List Ophrys ariadnaePaulus Ophrys beloniae(G.Kretzschmar & H.Kretzschmar) Devillers & Devillers-Tersch. Ophrys cretica subsp. ariadnae(Paulus) H.Kretzschmar Ophrys cretica var. ariadnae(Paulus) Hennecke Ophrys cretica f. beloniae(G.Kretzschmar & H.Kretzschmar) P.Delforge Ophrys cretica subsp. beloniaeG.Kretzschmar & H.Kretzschmar Ophrys cretica f. bicornuta(H.Kretzschmar & R.L.Jahn) P.Delforge Ophrys cretica subsp. bicornutaH.Kretzschmar & R.L.Jahn Ophrys cretica subsp. karpathensisE.Nelson Ophrys cretica subsp. naxiaE.Nelson Ophrys doerfleriH.Fleischm. Ophrys kotschyi subsp. ariadnae(Paulus) Faurh. Ophrys kotschyi subsp. cretica(Vierh.) H.Sund. Ophrys naxensisRech. Ophrys spruneri f. creticaVierh. Ophrys spruneri subsp. cretica(Vierh.) Renz Ophrys spruneri var. cretica(Vierh.) Soó Ophrys spruneri f. syriacaG.Keller

Ophrys cretica is a species of flowering plant in the family Orchidaceae, native to Crete, the East Aegean Islands, and mainland Greece. ^[1] It has been included in Ophrys kotschyi , as either one or two subspecies. ^{[1] [2]}

Description

Ophrys cretica grows to 10 to 40 cm (4 to 16 in) tall. It has two to ten flowers in a spike, that may be lax or dense. The sepals are green to brownish violet in colour; the lateral sepals may be bicoloured, green above the midline and brownish violet below. The lip or labellum is generally about as long as it is wide, in the range 10–16 mm (0.4–0.6 in). Its base colour is dark brown to purple black. The speculum or mirror is roughly H-shaped, but frequently with more complex embellishments. The upper part reaches the base of the lip. The central parts of the speculum are greyish violet to reddish brown; the whole has a white border. ^[2]

Taxonomy

The species was first described by Friedrich K. M. Vierhapper in 1916 as Ophrys spruneri f. cretica. ^[3] In 1962, Erich Nelson raised it to the full species, Ophrys cretica. Others later treated it as one or two subspecies of O. kotschyi (subspecies cretica or subspecies ariadne and cretica). ^{[1] [2]} As of September 2025 ^[update] , Plants of the World Online accepted it as an independent species. ^[1]

Distribution and habitat

Ophrys cretica is native to Crete, the East Aegean Islands north to Chios, and the southeast of mainland Greece (Attica, Aigina, and the Peloponnese). ^{[1] [2]} It is found on calcareous soils from sea level to altitudes of up to 1,000 m (3,300 ft). Typical habitats include grassland, garrigue, and pesticide-free olive groves. ^[2]

Ecology

Like O. kotschyi, which has similarly coloured and patterned flowers, O. cretica is pollinated by bees of the genus Melecta , particularly M. albifrons and M. tuberculata . ^[2]

• 
  Flower, from Rhodes
• 
  Flower of the somewhat similar Ophrys kotschyi , from Cyprus

References

1. "Ophrys cretica (Vierh.) E.Nelson", Plants of the World Online , Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew , retrieved 2025-09-25
2. Pedersen, Henrik Ærenlund & Faurholdt, Niels (2007), Ophrys : The Bee Orchids of Europe, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: Kew Publishing, ISBN   978-1-84246-152-5 , pp. 202–207 (Pedersen & Faurholdt treat O. cretica as O. kotschyi subspp. ariadne and cretica.)
3. "Ophrys cretica (Vierh.) E.Nelson", The International Plant Names Index , retrieved 2025-09-25