Bee orchid
Bee Orchid (Ophrys apifera var. aurita)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Liliopsida Order: Asparagales Family: Orchidaceae Subfamily: Orchidoideae Tribe: Orchidae Subtribe: Orchidinae Alliance: Orchis Genus: Ophrys Species: O. Plants are living Organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. The flowering plants or angiosperms ( Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta) are the most widespread group Monocotyledons or monocots are one of two major groups of Flowering plants (angiosperms that are traditionally recognised the other being Dicotyledons Asparagales is an order of Flowering plants The order must include the family Asparagaceae, but other families included in the order have varied markedly The Orchidoideae, or the orchidoid orchids are a subfamily of the orchid family ( Orchidaceae) Orchis is a genus in the orchid family ( Orchidaceae) This genus gets its name from the Greek όρχις orchis, meaning "testicle" from The genus Ophrys is a large group of Orchids from the alliance Orchis in the subtribe Orchidinae. apifera
Binomial name
Ophrys apifera Huds., 1762

The Bee Orchid (Ophrys apifera) is a perennial, temperate climate species of orchid generally found growing on semi-dry turf, on limestone, calcareous dunes or in open areas in woodland. William Hudson ( Kendal, c 1730 - May 23, 1793) was a British Botanist and Apothecary based in London A perennial plant or perennial ( Latin per, "through" annus, "year" is a Plant that lives for more than Sod or turf is grass and the part of the Soil beneath it held together by the Roots or a piece of this material The Bee Orchid is a common plant in the Mediterranean region eastwards to the Black Sea but is less common in its northern range being uncommon or local in Germany and Ireland. The Mediterranean Basin refers to the lands around and surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea. The Black Sea is an inland Sea bounded by southeastern Europe, the Caucasus and the Anatolian peninsula ( Turkey Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world In the UK it has a distinct western preference being more common in Wales where it is often found on sand dunes. In some countries the plants have protected status. They are unusual in that in some years they appear in great numbers, then sometimes only reappear after an absence of many years.

This hardy orchid grows to a height of 30 cm. They live in a symbiotic relationship with mycorrhiza ( a soil-dwelling fungus). This article is about the biological phenomenon for other uses see Symbiosis (disambiguation The term symbiosis (from the Greek A mycorrhiza (Greek for fungus roots coined by Frank 1885 typically seen in the plural forms mycorrhizae or mycorrhizas) is a symbiotic (occasionally A fungus (ˈfʌŋgəs is a eukaryotic Organism that is a member of the kingdom Fungi (ˈfʌndʒaɪ

The Bee Orchid develops small rosettes of leaves in autumn. In Botany, a leaf is an above-ground Plant organ specialized for Photosynthesis. They slowly continue to grow during winter. Flowers appear the following year. Each year, it produces from one to ten flowers on a spike, blooming from June to July. The flowers are almost exclusively self-pollinating in the northern ranges of the plants distribution, pollination by the solitary bee Eucera occurs sometimes in the Mediterranean area. The petals are marginal and spread out, colored mauve to pink. A petal (from Ancient Greek petalon "leaf" "thin plate" regarded as a highly modified leaf is one member or part of the corolla The flower is furry to the touch and is quite variable in the pattern of coloration, but usually brownish-red with yellow markings.

The alternate leaves are elliptical and pointed.

Bees in the past have caused the evolution of bee orchids. Male bees, over many generations of cumulative orchid evolution, have built up the bee-like shape through trying to copulate with flowers, and hence carrying pollen. In Biology, mating is the pairing of opposite- Sex or hermaphroditic Organisms for copulation and in Social animals also to raise their ^[1]

The Bee Orchid is the county flower of Bedfordshire. Bedfordshire (abbreviated Beds) is a County in England that forms part of the East of England region.

A Bee Orchid

Self pollination: One of the two pollinia bends itself towards the stigma

References