Ophrys kotschyi, the Cyprus bee orchid, is a terrestrial species of orchid native to Greece and Cyprus.[1][3]

Cyprus bee orchid
Scientific classification Edit this 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
Synonyms[1][2]
  • Ophrys sintenisii subsp. kotschyi (H.Fleischm. & Soó) Soó
  • Ophrys cretica
  • Ophrys cypria Renz

Ophrys kotschyi occurs in grasslands and in open pine woodlands. It is listed as "near-threatened" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.[4]

Subspecies

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Three subspecies are recognized (as of May 2014):[1] Some molecular studies have suggested that the Greek populations might be only superficially similar, that they evolved independently from the Cypriot populations, thus perhaps meriting recognition as a distinct species.[5]

  • Ophrys kotschyi subsp. ariadnae (Paulus) Faurh. - Greece
  • Ophrys kotschyi subsp. cretica (Soó) H.Sund. - Crete and other Greek islands
  • Ophrys kotschyi subsp. kotschyiCyprus

References

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