This is the title species of the O. umbilicata group that consists of 6 largely similar ophrys, all of
which come from the Aegean basin and around the eastern Mediterranean. It was popularly known
untill the late 20th century as the Mount Carmel Ophrys (O. carmeli) at which time the title would
have encompassed other group members that have now been split off as individual species (O. attica,
O. bucephala and O. flavomarginata etc)
Unsurprisingly its name refers to the umbilicus which is the central, navel like ocellus formed by the
speculum. This feature, although usual, is by no means constant and can vary from being completely absent through to some specimens where this ocellus appears in triplicate.
Unlike most of the rest of its group, O. umbilicata is a relatively common Ophrys and may be abundant
in some of its stations, particularly in the Aegean islands. Its in this area also that its range overlaps
with the two other species with which it might most easily be confused, namely O. bucephala and O.
attica (also O. flavomarginata in Cyprus)
Although some examples of possible hybridisation have been encountered, our experience is that even
when studying an area that contains all three species in close proximity, the individual features of each
remain largely pure and identifiable. Perhaps the most immediate and obvious characteristic of this
species is the mainly whitish, sometimes pinkish sepals, whereas O. attica and O. bucephala both have
unvarying green sepals.
The photo's are from Lesbos, Chios and Cyprus.
.