Ophrys apifera

Bee Orchid

Ophrys apifera, the Bee Orchid, is reasonably common on un-ploughed chalk or limestone grassland, typically found in areas of short, grazed turf. The examples pictured above were photographed on Lavington Down, Wilts and in the Avon Gorge in Bristol. The example at bottom left, from the Avon Gorge, is probably var. trolii, which is thought to be a hybrid between O. apifera and O. insectifera, the Fly Orchid, both of which occur close by. Notice how variable the colour and patterning of the lip is in the typical variety (the four right-hand pictures).

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