This is a member of the O. oestrifera group which as has been described elsewhere, is a large
and difficult group whose ranges frequently overlap and where mixed parentage has lead to some
often quite bewildering offspring.
O. cerastes was first described in 2004 and named after what is probably its most outstanding
feature - it's legthy horns. Its perhaps the most common and widespread of its group with a range
that takes it from Anatolia, across the Aegean and through continental Greece to the Ionian islands.
This range brings it into contact with many similar family members, notably O. bicornis, O. cornutula and O. crassicornis as well as similar members of other groups such as O. shlechteriana.
Photograph 1 may be seen as a fairly typical example of the species whereas photograph 3 showing
the whole plant, has somewhat fuller sepals than would be considered normal. It did however meet
the species criteria in other respects and may therefore be one of the many results of a mixed
genetic background.
Sepals turned back, stigmatic cavity less than half the width of median lobe and speculum complete without being particularly complex. The word "usually" should however prefix all the above identification criteria. All the photo's are from Mount Hymettus, north of Athens, with the exception of 3 which was taken in the northern Peloponnese south of Corinth. Dates vary from the 29th of March to 20th of April 2008.
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