O. reinholdii was first described from Attica, Greece in 1907 and was named after a 19th century
Athens doctor.
It is surely one of the Mediterranean's most beautiful orchids, belonging to the small group of Ophrys
which takes its name from this particular species IE:- O. reinholdii . The other 5 members of the group all have characteristically bold markings and colouration, including amongst their number the equally stunning O. straussii, O. cretica and O. ariadne . The relationship between this species and O. straussii
needs further study and may result in the latter being demoted back to varietal status
It has a scattered distribution from Macedonia down to Anatolia and is not by any means a common orchid, though it can grow in substantial colonies where it does occur. Being such a distinctive flower it's unlikely to be mistaken for any other Ophrys apart from the aforementioned O. straussii where
there is an overlap of range in the southern Aegean.
O. reinholdii is a tall orchid growing to 60cms, with up to 10 flowers per spike and favouring slightly acidic conditions. Although it will tolerate full sun, it shows a marked preference for dense coniferous woodland clearings and the sides of tracks where the canopy has opened out. This partiality does however make it difficult for the photographer to find clean plants that have not been masked by a layer of pine pollen. This problem is particularly frustrating with dark bodied ophrys such as this and others like O. ferrum-equinum.
The illustrations are all from northern Chios and date from the second week of April.
The following 3 examples are less typical examples of the species, particularly in the very pale sepals. The final picture illustrates a flower where lateral sepals are reduced to a size less than that of the petals.
