Ophrys kotschyi

Cyprus bee orchid
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Orchidoideae
Genus: Ophrys
Species:
O. kotschyi
Binomial name
Ophrys kotschyi
H.Fleischm. & Soó[1]
Synonyms[1]
  • Ophrys sintenisii subsp. kotschyi (H.Fleischm. & Soó) Soó
  • Ophrys cypria Renz

Ophrys kotschyi, the Cyprus bee orchid or Kotschy's ophrys, is a terrestrial species of orchid native to south-western Turkey and Cyprus.[1] Ophrys kotschyi occurs in grasslands and in open pine woodlands. It is listed as "near-threatened" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.[2]

Subspecies

Two subspecies that were formerly recognized, Ophrys kotschyi subsp. ariadnae and Ophrys kotschyi subsp. cretica, are now placed in a separate species, Ophrys cretica.[3] This had been suggested in a 2011 molecular phylogenetic study.[4] As of September 2025, Plants of the World Online accepted no subspecies of Ophrys kotschyi.[1]

Ecology

Ophrys kotschyi is pollinated by anthophorine bees of the genus Melecta.

  • Flower of O. kotschyi from Cyprus
  • Flower of the somewhat similar O. cretica, from Rhodes

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Ophrys kotschyi H.Fleischm. & Soó". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2025-09-25.
  2. ^ IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
  3. ^ "Ophrys cretica (Vierh.) E.Nelson". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2025-09-25.
  4. ^ Gábor Sramkó, Gergely Gulyás & Attila Molnár V. 2011. Convergent evolution in Ophrys kotschyi (Orchidaceae) revisited: a study using nrITS and cpIGS sequences. Ann. Bot. Fennici 48: 97–106, Helsinki, ISSN 1797-2442
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