Ophrys sicula (Ophrys sicula)

Description

Ophrys lutea (Gouan) Cav. 1793 is a monopodial and terrestrial orchid of the Orchidinae subtribe of the Orchidaceae familyof the genus Ophrys . It is of the so-called bee orchids . They are very variable orchids that can present variations or subspecies. This species of terrestrial monopodial habits is distributed throughout the Mediterranean (Spain, southern France, and Corsica) in general throughout Europe . In meadows, garrigue, shrubs and forests. They reach a height of 25 to 30 cm. During the summer this orchid is dormant as an underground bulb or tuber , which serves as a food reserve. At the end of summer-autumn develops a rosette of leaves. Also a new tuber begins to develop and matures until the following spring, the old tuber dies slowly. In the following spring the floral stem begins to develop, and during flowering the leaves begin to wilt. Most Ophrys orchids depend on a symbiotic fungus , because of this they develop only a couple of small alternate leaves. They can not be transplanted because of this symbiosis. The small basal leaves form a rosette stuck to the ground. They are oblong, lanceolate, rounded, without indentations; They have a bluish green color. They develop in autumn and can survive winter frosts. The Ophrys lutea is a terrestrial orchid that has a subterranean, globular tubercle, and small from which comes the erect, simple and unbranched floral stem of about 30 cm. The flowers have a large lip . The labellum of intense yellow canary color of about 13 to 18 mm in length has three lobes with two triangular lateral lobes somewhat smaller and glabrous. The intermediate lobe is glabrous and larger than the lateral lobes in which the speculum is smaller than in other species, bluish-steel, H-shaped, framed within a dark brown spot imitating the abdomen of certain insects. This variety has two lateral sepals equal in size rounded at the apex, the third becomes a little forward. The three sepals are about 7 mm long and have a uniform greenish yellow or light green color. Two to ten flowers develop on the floral stem with basal leaves. The flowers are unique, not only for their unusual beauty, color and exceptional shapes, but also for the ingenuity with which they attract insects . Its labellum imitates in this case the abdomen of a bee . They bloom from mid-March to April. This visual suggestion serves as an intimate claim. This mimic pollination is enhanced by also producing the fragrance of the insect female in heat. These pheromones cause the insect to come closer to investigate. This occurs only in the determined period in which the males are in heat and the females have not yet emerged. The insect is so excited that it begins to copulate with the flower. This is called "pseudocopulation", the firmness, the softness, and the velvety hairs of the lip are the main incentives for the insect to enter the flower. The polinia adhere to the head or abdomen of the insect. When you revisit another flower, the pollinia strike the stigma. The filaments of the pollinia during transport change position in such a way that the pollen grains can hit the stigma, such is the degree of refinement of the process that if the filaments do not take the new position the pollinia could not fertilize the new orchid. Each orchid has its own pollinator insect and depends completely on this pollinating species for its survival. What is more, the embezzled males are likely not to return or even to ignore plants of the same species. For all this, only about 10% of the population of Ophrys becomes pollinated. This is enough to preserve the population of Ophrys , if one takes into account that each fertilized flower produces 12,000 tiny seeds.