Herbario Virtual del Mediterráneo Occidental
Àrea de Botànica, Departament de Biologia, Universitat de les Illes Balears
Ophrys fusca Link
Family : ORCHIDACEAE
Genus : Ophrys
Catalan common name : Mosques negres.
Spanish common name : Monjas.
Province distribution : Alicante. Balearic Islands. Barcelona. Gerona. Lérida. Tarragona. Valencia.
Distribution in the islands : Formentera. Ibiza. Mallorca. Minorca.
General distribution : Mediterranean
Flowering time : March. April. May.
Life-forms : Geophyte.
Habitat : Pine woodlands and garriques.
IUCN Category : Poco preocupante
Characteristics : This orchid is one of the most frequent ones in garrigues (Mediterranean woodland) and pinewoods, it is also the one that flowers earliest, during winter. It is recognised because the central labellum is velvet and dark at the distal half, whereas the most internal part is covered by a grey or bluish stain. This labellum is divided into three lobs, the central one whic is the largest and at the same time bilobulate. The most internal tepals are yellowish-green which contrasts intensely with the dark tones of the labellum.
