Named after Ferdinand the first, King of Bulgaria, this little Ophrys originally rejoiced in the
name of Ophrys regis-ferdinandii-coburgii. It almost seems a shame that such a regal name has
now been abbreviated, though whether the late monarch was entirely pleased to lend his name to
such an unprepossessing flower is unknown.
Unprepossessing it may be but this rare little Ophrys makes up for it with character and interest.
Rather like its two cousins in the O. speculum group, it is a small plant and easily overlooked. It
occasionally grows to 25cms but is more usually somewhat shorter, though it can produce a good number of flowers per spike and form many stemmed clumps.
It is a remarkably stable species but shows an inclination for hybridisation. On Rhodes, O. regis-
fernandii can grow in close proximity to its near relative O. speculum and hybrids are relatively common. Its range is limited to western Anatolia and the Aegean basin where it is present on Chios, Samos and Rhodes though absent from Lesbos (where only O. speculum may be found).
Very much an orchid of full sun and dry calcareous soils this species (perhaps unsurprisingly) doesnt seem to last in flower for very long. Its an early flowerer and can be in full bloom by mid
March although this is still two to three weeks after O. speculum.
The pictures are from Chios and Rhodes, dating from the first week of April, at which time the
plants were well past their best. Photo 5 (from Chios) is clearly a hybrid but of unknown origin.
.