This Ophrys was first described as O. fusca subsp. clarae from Extramadura, Spain by Vasquez and Ramos in 2005 and subsequently promoted to full species status in 2010 as O. clarae. It is found only in a limited area of southern Spain, mainly south of Extramadura.
The O. fusca grouping in the Mediterranean has historically been confusing and difficult even for experts to truly assimilate. Some of the issues were addressed by Michael Lowe in a paper published by the Journal Europaischer Orchideen in 2010 and we would thoroughly recommend this to anyone wishing to further their understanding of this difficult group of Pseudophrys. O. clarae had not however been considered in the work and so its status has yet to be fully rubber stamped.
To quote Kreutz, only around half of all known O. fusca group species can be differentiated morphologically, with the other taxa mainly recognized by pollinator or flowering period. O. clarae is an example of this. It's pollinator is unknown but although it blooms late, there is an overlap of flowering with the very similar O. malacitana in early April. O. clarae has a relatively flat or modestly curved lip, more reflexed at its tip and covered in purplish hairs. It tends to appear shorter and broader than in O. malacitana but this is largely due to it being less strongly reflexed. Colouration is deep brown/red and invariably with a sometimes significant yellow margin.
The pictures come from the hills above Alconera and date from the first week of April at which time the plants were in decline.
