Ophrys holoserica

Ophrys holoserica (Burm. f.) Greuter is a species of monopodial, terrestrial orchids in the subtribe Orchidinae, family Orchidaceae. It is called the spider orchid. Very variable species that presents numerous subspecies and local varieties.

Description

Ophrys holoserica,
darker tones, Saarland, Germany.

During the summer these orchids are dormant as an underground tuber bulb, which serves as a food reserve. At the end of the summer-autumn it develops a rosette of leaves. Also a new tuber begins to develop and matures until the following spring, the old tuber slowly dies. The next spring the flower stem begins to develop, and during flowering the leaves already begin to wither.

Most Ophrys orchids are dependent on a fungus symbiont, which is why they develop only a pair of small alternate leaves. They cannot be transplanted due to this symbiosis. The small basal leaves form a rosette attached to the ground. They are oblong-lanceolate rounded without indentations and have a bluish-green color. They develop in autumn and can survive winter frosts.

Ophrys holoserica is a terrestrial orchid that has a small, globular, underground tubercle from which emerges the simple, erect floral stem without ramifications of about 40 cm. The flowers have a large labellum. The lip is hairy trapezoid and has a dark brown color. The lip has three lobes with the lateral ones turned forward with fine silky hairs. The medial lobe is glabrous and smaller than the laterals.
This variety has sepals that are the same in size and consistency, about 7 mm in length, and are pink in color. The innermost petals are much smaller than the sepals but the same pink or white color and make a great contrast with the dark tones of the labellum. Two to fifteen flowers develop on the flower stalk with basal leaves. The flowers are unique not only for their unusual beauty, color gradation and exceptional shapes, but also for the ingenuity with which they attract insects. Its lip imitates in this case the abdomen of a spider. This species is highly variable in its patterns and color gradation. They bloom in May.

This visual suggestion serves as an intimate claim. This mimic pollination is enhanced by also producing the fragrance of the female insect in heat. These pheromones make the insect come closer to investigate. This occurs only in the determined period in which the males are in heat and the females have not yet copulated. The insect is so excited that it begins to copulate with the flower. This is called "pseudocopulation", the firmness, softness, and velvety hairs of the lip are the greatest incentives for the insect to enter the flower. Pollinia attach to the head or abdomen of the insect. When it returns to visit another flower the pollinia hit the stigma. The filaments of the pollinia during transport change position in such a way that the waxy pollen grains can strike the stigma, such is the degree of sophistication of reproduction. If the filaments do not take the new position, the pollinia could not have fertilized the new orchid.

Each orchid has its own pollinating insect and is completely dependent on this pollinating species for its survival. What's more, tricked males are likely not to return or even ignore plants of the same species. For all this only about 10% of the Ophrys population gets to be pollinated. This is enough to preserve the Ophrys population, considering that each fertilized flower produces 12,000 tiny seeds.

Habitat

This species with a monopodial terrestrial habit is distributed throughout the Mediterranean, southern England and southern Germany. In meadows, garrigues, bushes and forests. They reach a height of 40 cm.

Subspecies

Ophrys holoserica var. alba,
of Saarland, Germany.

• • Ophrys holoserica ssp. apulica (Region of Apulia, Italy)
  • Ophrys holoserica subsp. bornmuelleri (E. Medit. to N. Iraq).
  • Ophrys holoserica subsp. candica (SE. Italy to SW. Turkey).
  • Ophrys holoserica subsp. chestermanii (SW. Sardinia).
  • Ophrys holoserica subsp. elatior (France to S. Germany).
  • Ophrys holoserica nothosubsp. halicarnassia (Turkey).
  • Ophrys holoserica subsp. holoserica (W. & C. Europa a Medit.)
  • Ophrys holoserica subsp. lacaitae (Sicilia to S. Italy).
  • Ophrys holoserica subsp. maxima (Creta to SW. S. Turkey, Israel).
  • Ophrys holoserica subsp. oxyrrhynchos (Certain to Sicily, Italy).
  • Ophrys holoserica subsp. biancae (SE. Sicily).

Natural hybrids

• Ophrys × albertiana (O. apifera × O. holosericea) (Europ).
  • Ophrys × albertiana nothosubsp. albertiana (Europe).
  • Ophrys × albertiana nothosubsp. morellensis (O. apifera × O. holoserica ssp. candica(Italy)
• Ophrys × aschersonii (O. holosericea × O. sphegodes(Europe).
• Ophrys × cartoon (O. ferrum-equinum × O. holosericea(Turkey).
• Ophrys × chiesesica (O. drumana × O. fuciflora(Europe)
• Ophrys × devenensis (O. holosericea × O. insectifera(Europe).
• Ophrys × enobarbia (O. bertolonii × O. fuciflora) (France)
• Ophrys × stacensis (O. fuciflora × O. splendida(France)
• Ophrys × extorris (O. holosericea × O. insectifera × O. sphegodes(Austria).
• Ophrys × ferruginea (O. fusca × O. holoserica(Italy)
• Ophrys × gumprechtii (O. bertolonii × O. holosericea ssp. parvimaculata(Italy)
  • Ophrys × gumprechtii nothosubsp. enobarbia (O. bertolonii × O. holosericea(Italy)
  • Ophrys × gumprechtii nothosubsp. gumprechtii (Italy).
• Ophrys × maladroxiensis (O. holosericea × O. morisii) (Cerdeña).
  • Ophrys × maladroxiensis nothosubsp. daissiorum (O. holosericea ssp. chestermanii × O. morisii(Cerdeña)
  • Ophrys × maladroxiensis nothosubsp. maladroxyensis (Chuckles)
• Ophrys × maremmae (O. holosericea subsp. fuciflora × O. tenthredinifera(Italy)
• Ophrys × marmarensis (O. holosericea × O. umbilicata(E. Is. of the Aegean).
• Ophrys × monachorum (O. exaltata × O. fuciflora(France)
• Ophrys × montis-leonis (O. arachniformis × O. fuciflora ssp. fuciflora(France)
• Ophrys × obscura (O. fuciflora ssp. fuciflora × O. sphegodes(France)
• Ophrys × perspicua (O. holosericea × O. phrygia(Turkey).
• Ophrys × sivana (O. episcopalis × O. holosericea ssp. candica(Creta to Turkey).
  • Ophrys × vicina nothosubsp. corriasiana (O. holosericea ssp. chestermanii × O. scolopax ssp. conradiae(SW. Sardinia)
• Ophrys × yvonneae (O. holosericea ssp. apulica × O. incubacea(Italy)

Etymology

See: Ophrys, Etymology

From the Latin "holoserica"="spider-like" referring to its lip.
Ophrys is first mentioned in the book "Natural History" by Pliny the Elder (23-79 AD).
These Orchids are called the "Spider Orchids" because the labellum of the flowers resembles the abdomen of spiders.

Common names

• Spanish: Orchid spider
• German: Hummel-Ragwurz
• French: Ophrys bourdon
• English: Late spider orchid
• Italian: Ofride di fuco

Synonymy

• Orchis holoserica Burm.f. (1770) (Basionymum)
• Ophrys fuciflora (F.W. Schmidt) Moench (1802)