This attractive Ophrys was first described from Sicily in 1840 and its somewhat eccentric name refers
to the shape of its appendage. It is a member of the seven strong O. fuciflora group.
O. oxyrrhynchos has a limited range which is confined to Sicily and southern Italy and only in the former
is it in any way common (and then only locally) . Its habitat requirement is the usual Mediterranean
calcareous terrain which in Sicily it shares with the other fuciflorids and its quite possible to find
it growing in close association with O. biancae, O. calliantha and the elusive O. lacaitae. Those going
to Sicily in search of the latter species without specific intelligence would do well to concentrate their
explorations in sites that hold numbers of these other species.
O. oxyrrhynchos is not a significantly variable orchid (in its genetically pure form) and in Sicily the
rusty brown, trapezoid lip and green sepals (often lightly washed with pink) are fairly reliable indicators
of the species identity. O. biancae will often exhibit these same features but its smaller size and earlier
flowering will generally act as an easy separater of the two orchids.
In mainland southern Italy the main source of confusion would be O. celiensis which many regard as a
stable hybrid between O. oxyrrhynchos itself and O. apulica. O. celiensis only occurs in a limited area
of Puglia but the resemblance is striking.
The pictures are all from central and southern Sicily and date from the second and third weeks of April,
some two weeks after O. biancae and at least a week before O. lacaitae and O. calliantha.
