O. bicornuta was first described from Crete as a sub-species of O. cretica by Kretzchmar and Jahn in 2001 and is a member of the exclusively eastern Mediterranean based O. reinholdii group of Ophrys. Its name derives from the Latin "bicornis", a reference to the heavyweight protuberences which dominate its appearance.
O. cretica itself is not confined to Crete being found sporadically throughout the southern Aegean, Laconia in the southern Peloponnese and very rarely in Cyprus. O. bicornuta however is endemic to the eastern side of Crete, where it grows, sometimes abundantly, in full sun or part shade on dry calcareous substrates often in the company of O. cretica . As with this latter species, O. bicornuta exhibits a relatively simple specular pattern, a contrast to the often quite extravagant markings of their cousin O. ariadnae. The key distinguishing features are however the lateral lobes, which are well developed and as can be seen from the pictures, can in some cases be quite exaggerated. The general rule seems to be that if the lobe is at all extended and at least its tip is completely hairless then it can be regarded as bicornuta.
In the field identification is complicated by both natural species variation and hybridization. Pictures 9 and 12 depict such intermediates. Picture 11 illustrates a cross involving O. cretensis. The taxonomic status of O. bicornuta is not a matter of universal agreement, with some referring to it as simply a variation, whilst others accord it full species status (Devillers and Devillers-Terschuren 2009).
The photographs all come from eastern Crete, dating from the first two weeks of April.
O. cretica itself is not confined to Crete being found sporadically throughout the southern Aegean, Laconia in the southern Peloponnese and very rarely in Cyprus. O. bicornuta however is endemic to the eastern side of Crete, where it grows, sometimes abundantly, in full sun or part shade on dry calcareous substrates often in the company of O. cretica . As with this latter species, O. bicornuta exhibits a relatively simple specular pattern, a contrast to the often quite extravagant markings of their cousin O. ariadnae. The key distinguishing features are however the lateral lobes, which are well developed and as can be seen from the pictures, can in some cases be quite exaggerated. The general rule seems to be that if the lobe is at all extended and at least its tip is completely hairless then it can be regarded as bicornuta.
In the field identification is complicated by both natural species variation and hybridization. Pictures 9 and 12 depict such intermediates. Picture 11 illustrates a cross involving O. cretensis. The taxonomic status of O. bicornuta is not a matter of universal agreement, with some referring to it as simply a variation, whilst others accord it full species status (Devillers and Devillers-Terschuren 2009).
The photographs all come from eastern Crete, dating from the first two weeks of April.
