Bee orchid
Ophrys apifera
Family: Orchidaceae
What it is like
A ground orchid. It grows 15-60 cm high. It is higher in moist ground. The leaves at the base are oval or sword shaped and blunt. The stem leaves are similar but smaller. There are 2-7 flowers on each stalk. The flowers are 2.5 cm across. The sepals are pink or purple with the mid vein green. The petals are green or purple and almost triangle shaped. They are less than one third the length of the sepals. The lip is 10-13 mm long and brown or purple. It has 3 lobes and the central lobe has the tip bent backwards.
There are about 140 Ophrys species.
Where it is found
It prefers dry to moist grassland and wasteland between sea level and 1600 m altitude.
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa, Britain, Europe, Luxembourg, Mediterranean, North Africa, Spain, Turkey, Türkiye
How it is used for food
Edible parts
Root
How it is grown
Plants are grown from tubers.