BEE ORCHID
Ophrys apifera
Orchid Family [Orchidaceae] 
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Orchid Family [Orchidaceae]
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flower
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petals
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| 23rd June 2008, Sandbach, Cheshire | Photo: © Roger Foden |
| A single stem bears several flowers on fat, slightly bulging, stalks up the stem, with a small gathering atop the plant. |
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| 23rd June 2008, Sandbach, Cheshire | Photo: © Roger Foden |
| The flowers look remarkably like bees, and are set in the middle of three radiating lilac-coloured sepals which can easily be mistaken for petals. The actual petals are two in number, green shorter and narrow. Short, narrow oval leaves sprout just below each flowering stem. |
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| 30th May 2009, Ainsdale Sand Dunes, Southport. | Photo: © RWD |
| The 'bee' has warm brown and fluorescent green markings on its three lobes, the side lobes bearing longer hairs. A mainly green 'hood' towers over the 'bee'. The upper petal of this specimen is folded back somewhat. |
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18th May 2009, St Julien d'Eymet, Dordogne.
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Photo: © Christine Shield |
| The hood partly obscures two yellow pollen-loaded anthers on drooping thin yellow stalks; hovering above the bee ready to transfer the pollen onto any visiting (real) bee. Except that the Bee Orchid is the one and only orchid of the Orchis Genus which is routinely also self-pollinated. The wind catches the dangling anthers transferring pollen to the stigma. |
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| 30th May 2009, Ainsdale Sand Dunes, Southport. | Photo: © RWD |
| Two short, narrow and green 'stump-like' petals emerge either side of the 'hood'. |
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| 30th May 2009, Ainsdale Sand Dunes, Southport. | Photo: © RWD |
| These stubby 'stump-like' petals impart a slug-like appearance to the 'bee'. The two side lobes 'ears' of the bee are more hairy, as is the 'chin' of the 'bee'. |
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| 30th May 2009, Ainsdale Sand Dunes, Southport. | Photo: © RWD |
| The two stubby petals are also hairy near the extremities. |
| 9th July 2011, Kilmannoch, Eire. | Photo: © Paula O'Meara |
| With one stamen intact. |
| 9th July 2011, Kilmannoch, Eire. | Photo: © Paula O'Meara |
| Close-up of above photo. Note the two greyish triangles in this particular specimen. |
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| 30th May 2009, Ainsdale Sand Dunes, Southport. | Photo: © RWD |
| The two anthers dangle above the 'bee' ready to transfer the pollen to any visiting flying insects, bees especially. |
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| 30th May 2009, Ainsdale Sand Dunes, Southport. | Photo: © RWD |
| The two yellow anthers were originally housed in the bulbous end of two slots in the upper part of the 'hood'. The 'throat' between 'hood' and 'bee' appears to offer nectar to visiting bees. |
| 1st May 2012, Sandwich, Kent. | Photo: © Barney Case |
| The 'bib' around the neck opening in this particular specimen is here seen to be dark purple rather than brown. |
A BEE ORCHID VARIETY
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| 30th June 2012, nr Needham Market, Mid Suffolk. | Photo: © Maurice Sore |
| Variety chlorantha totally lacks any anthocyanin colouring and thus not only are the petals white but the colour of the body reflects the chlorophyll within it, a greeny-yellow. A closer scrutiny reveals there are residual marks on the body where the differing anthocyanins would play if they were present. |
HYBRID BEE ORCHIDS |
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| 18th May 2009, St Julien d'Eymet, Dordogne. | Photo: © Christine Shield |
| This orchid, a member of the Bee Orchid or Ophrys species, is thought to be a hybrid between Late Spider Orchid (Ophrys Holoserica) and Woodcock Orchid (Ophrys Scolopax) |
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| 18th May 2009, St Julien d'Eymet, Dordogne. | Photo: © Christine Shield |
| This orchid, a member of the Bee Orchid or Ophrys species, is thought to be a hybrid between Late Spider Orchid (Ophrys Holoserica) and Woodcock Orchid (Ophrys Scolopax) and seems to have no presence in the UK. |
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Hybridises with :
Distinguishing Feature : the three pink sepals fanning out in a triangular shape surrounding a warm-brown flower that looks like a bee. There are also two shorter green sepals sticking out above the bee like fat antennae. The shape of a Bee Orchid attracts male bees who attempt to mate with the 'bee', who then carry away pollen to pollinate the next bee orchid. The Bee Orchid cheats; it provides no nectar for the bee. There are eight or more differing varieties of Bee Orchid in the UK, some not typically shaped. Peloric flowers with multiple lips are not un-common.
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BSBI maps
 Ophrys |
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Orchid Family [Orchidaceae]
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