Ophrys lutea Cavanilles 1793

Photo by Th. Pain and the Orchids of France and Europe

Inflorescence

Photo by © Philippe Stieffatre from France

Part sunCold WinterandSpring

Common Name The Egg Yellow Ophyrs - The Yellow Bee Orchid - in France Ophrys jaune - in Germany - Gelbe-ragwurz

Flower Size about 1" [about 2.5 cm]

Found in Portugal, Spain, France, Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, Italy, eastern Aegaen Islands, Malta, Greece and Crete, plus Morocco, Algeria, Libiya and Tunisia in grasslands, abandoned cultivation, garrigue, scrub and open woodlands as a miniature to small sized, cold growing terrestrial orchid from altitudes up to 1800 meters with tuberous roots carrying prostrate, elongate-ovate, yellow green, subacute or acute leaves that blooms in the winter and spring on a 4 to 12" [10 to 30 cm] long, erect inflorescence with 2 to 10, showy flowers.

Synonyms Arachnites lutea [Cav.]Tod. 1842; Ophrys aranifera subsp. pseudospeculum (DC.) Corb. 1894; Ophrys corsica Soleirol ex G.Foelsche & W.Foelsche 2002; Ophrys galilaea Fleischm. & Bornm. 1923; Ophrys galilaea subsp. melena (Renz) Del Prete 1984; Ophrys insectifera var. lutea Gouan 1765; Ophrys lutea subsp. galilaea (Fleischm. & Bornm.) Soó 1926; Ophrys lutea subsp. melena Renz 1928 ?; Ophrys lutea subsp. pseudospeculum (DC.) Kerguélen 1993; Ophrys lutea subsp. subfusca (Rchb.f.) Murb. 1899; Ophrys lutea var. subfusca Rchb.f. 1851; Ophrys melena (Renz) Paulus & Gack 1990; Ophrys minor subsp. galilaea (Fleischm. & Bornm.) Paulus & Gack 1986; Ophrys pseudospeculum DC. 1815; Ophrys speculum Steud. 1841; Ophrys vespifera Brotero 1804

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Die Orchideen Schlechter 1915; Atlas des Orchidees Cultivees Constantin 1920 drawing fide; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965; Die Orchideen 3 Auflage Bd 1 Sonderabdruck aus Schlechter Lieferung 4 193 to 256 Brieger, Maatsch and Senghas 1973 drawing; AOS Bulletin Vol 51 No 1 1982 as O lutea var minor photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 54 No 2 1985 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 54 No 3 1985; The Manual Of Cultivated Orchid Species Bechtel, Cribb & Launert 1992 photo fide; AOS Bulletin No 63 No 11 1994 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 66 #3 2002 photo fide; Orchids of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East Delforge 2005; Ophyrs The Bee Orchids of Europe Pederson & Faurholdt 2007; Mille et Une Mini Orchideees Roguenant 2009 photo fide;

Ophrys lutea subsp. galilaea (Fleischm. & Bornm.) Soó 1926

Part sunCold Winterto EARLYSpring

Common Name The Galilee Ophrys

Flower Size .8" [2 cm]

Found in Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Corsia, Sardina, Italy, Yugoslavia, Albania, Eastern Aegean Islands, Cyprus, Turkey, Lebanon, Syria and Israel as a miniature to small sized, cold growing terrestrial in grasslands, scrub and open woodland at elevations up to 1500 meters that blooms in the winter and early spring on a terminal, erect, 2 to 10" [5 to 25 cm] long, 2 to 8[10] flowered inflorescence.

Synonyms Arachnites lutea var. minor Todaro 1842; Ophrys archimedea P.Delforge & M.Walravens 2000; Ophrys aspea Devillers-Tersch. & Devillers 2000; Ophrys fusca var. subfusca (Rchb.f.) Rchb. 1851; Ophrys fenarolii Ferlan 1956; Ophrys flammeola P.Delforge 2000; Ophrys × gauthieri nothosubsp. fenarolii (Ferlan) H.Baumann & Künkele 1986; Ophrys lutea subsp. minor (Todaro) O. & E. Danesch 1975; Ophrys lutea subsp. murbeckii (Fleischmann) Soó; Ophrys lutea subsp. subfusca (Rchb.f.) Murb. 1899; Ophrys lutea var. minor (Tod.) Raynaud 1895; Ophrys lutea var. subfusca Rchb.f. 1851; Ophrys migoutiana F.Gay 1888; Ophrys minor (Tod.) Paulus & Gack in ?; Ophrys murbeckii Fleischmann 1925; Ophrys numida Devillers-Tersch. & Devillers 2000; Ophrys phryganae Devillers-Tersch. & Devillers 1991; Ophrys sicula Tineo 1817; Ophrys subfusca (Rchb.f.) Batt. 1910; Ophrys subfusca subsp. fenarolii (Ferlan) Del Prete 1984

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;Ophyrs The Bee Orchids of Europe Pederson & Faurholdt 2007 Orchids of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East Delforge 2005 as O sicula; AOS Bulletin Vol 88 #9 2019 as O lutea subsp melena photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 88 #9 2019 as O luta subsp phryganae photo fide; The Orchid Review Vol 1278 No 1330 June 2020 photo fide;

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------