This is an orchid until recently thought to be endemic to continental Greece with just one offshore outpost on the island of Euboea ( which is separated from the mainland by a matter of of a few hundred yards ! )
It is now known to be a not uncommon Ophrys in Sicily as well.
Its local but can be frequent in its favoured areas, and these areas always seem to be a dry habitat in full sun - rocky hillsides, garrigue, abandoned olive groves etc. O. calocaerina is within the O. funerea group
and at up to 50cms is certainly one of its taller and more sturdy members. It's also one of the most colourful and varied species in the group, though it's not readily confused with other fusca by virtue of its large flowers and the deep groove that bisects the entire length of the lip . Its Greek range overlaps with O. leucadica and it may well hybridise. In Sicily it keeps company with several other similar species and the scope for hybridization is huge. A defining characteristic of this species is its tendency to be highly colourful, particularly with hues of red below the stigmatic cavity.
O. calocaerina is a relatively newly described species (1994) and its name derives from beautiful (calo)and
season (caerina). It is certainly an attractive orchid but quite why the seasonal aspect was included in the name is unknown. Nonetheless, its an orchid, full of character and well worth seeking out. If you ever have time to kill at Athens airport, get into the city and catch a 224 bus out to the cemetery on the foothills of Mount Hymettus . It is not uncommon here.
The illustrations are from Mt Hymettus and Sicily with the exception of the superbly marked example in photo's 1 and 6 which come from Lavrio in the Attica peninsula.
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