Ophrys mirabilis
The description of Ophrys mirabilis by GENIEZ & MELKI in L'Orchidophile 22 (98) p.161-166 was a surprise in 1991, because it is the only species with Ophrys dyris-/omegaifera-relationship in Sicily. The most important attribute is, that it doesn't have a notch at the base of the labellum.
GENIEZ & MELKI described the species on base of only three stems. When I visited the Locus Classicus in 1998, there were 5 stems. To local botanists from Ragusa the orchid was longer known from a site of about 250 stems, but they had put few attention on it. In between some more sites have been found in Sicily. (The Italian web page can automatically be translated into the English language e.g. using the Google Translation Service, the translation is not perfect but readable.)
In Tunisia a site of the same or very similar species was known since 1912, 'Ophrys hayekii', which was still observed by Dr. Helmut Baumann in 1972, but in between it seems to be missing. More information can be found in my site Orchids with History: Ophrys mirabilis.
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| Ophrys mirabilis, Sicily, Prov. Caltanissetta (locus classicus) 28.4.98 |
Ophrys mirabilis, Sicily, Prov. Caltanissetta (locus classicus) 28.4.98 |
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| Ophrys mirabilis, Sicily, Prov. Caltanissetta (locus classicus) 28.4.98 |
Ophrys mirabilis, Sicily, Prov. Ragusa 30.4.98 | |
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| Ophrys mirabilis, Sicily, Prov. Ragusa 30.4.98 | Ophrys mirabilis, Sicily, Prov. Ragusa 30.4.98 | |
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Rev.: 10.Mar.2005 | |
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Copyright: Use of the images and texts only with author's written permission. |
