This little ophrys belongs to the O. tenthredenifera group but although its general configuration makes
it recognizable as such, it is very much a poor relation in terms of colouration and beauty. It was
first described from the Algarve in 1800 and its name literally means "bee flower".
Whereas its close cousins are handsome to the point of gaudiness, O. bombyliflora is insignificant and
drab, the only suggestion of colour being in the column. It does however have its admirers and in
Greece its commonly known as "arkoudaki" which translates into "little bear". This seems a most appropriate and affectionate name for an orchid that really can resemble a tiny teddy bear when viewed
at close quarters.
Even though it can be variable O. bombylifera is unlikely to ever be confused with another orchid species
though as can be seen from the bottom of this page, hybrids are not uncommon, particularly with other
members of the O. tenthredenifera group. O. bonbyliflora is a widespread species that can be found
pretty well throughout the Mediterranean from France (where it's a rarity) to Anatolia. It is also
reported from the Canary Islands but we are not sure how reliable this information is ? It can occur
in huge colonies and this is due in no small part to its ability to reproduce vegetatively.
Photo 7 is from Crete and depicts a flower that is taking the teddy bear look to extreme's - though whether this plant is aberrant or the result of hybridisation is unknown. The remaining pictures are from
Rhodes and Sicily.
The following pictures are from Sicily and depict hybrid plants from a large "swarm" found in the south east of the island. They are crosses with O. grandiflora
but interestingly , very few of either parent species could be located nearby.
