Ophrys fusca Link subsp. fusca

Spice Flower 1 Flower 2 Flower 3

Family: ORCHIDACEAE

Genus: Ophrys

Catalan common name: Mosques negres.

Spanish common name: Monjas.

Province distribution: Alacant. Balearic Islands. Barcelona. Girona. Lleida. Tarragona. València.

Distribution in the islands: Mallorca. Menorca. Ibiza. Formentera.

General distribution (Phytogeography): Mediterranean

IUCN Category: LCLeast concern

Flowering time: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Life-forms: Geophyte.

Habitats: Wild olive trees and other sclerophyllous shrublands. Juniperus phoenicea subsp. turbinata forest. Pine wood and shrubland with rosemary and thyme garigue. Pine woodlands and garriques.

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.