WesternOphrys exaltata subsp. arachnitiformis
Western
Very early flowering Ophrys, which for many years have been called arachnitiformis,
are found between Northeastern Spain and Western Liguria, however mainly along the French
Mediterranean coast. According to the investigations of PAULUS and GACK
(1999) in Jour.Eur.Orch.31(2) the orchids are pollinated by the bee Colletes cunicularius.
In the last years there were again and again attempts, to separate the western
arachnitiformis, which has usually a green perigon, from the
eastern arachnitiformis
with white to pink perianth. The western partial population is distributed from
Northeastern Spain to over the Rhone in France, as well as along the Rhone valley almost up
to Lyon. Also near the French Atlantic coast some populations have been found.
These plants with green perigon were described in 2002 by Remy SOUCHE (Romeig SOCA) and others as
Ophrys exaltata subsp. marzuola, and by Gil SCAPPATICCI as
Ophrys arachnitiformis subsp. occidentalis, and thus separated from the
eastern arachnitiformis s.str. Another name is Ophrys gallica by LOOKEN 2000.
The question is whether one of these solutions can satisfy, which only would be the case,
if the transitions were not flowing. But this is the case, and Scappaticci has described
these frequently occurring intermediates between western and eastern arachnitiformis
already as hybrids.
In 2006 in Natural. belges 87 (Orchid. 19): 228-251 Devillers and Devillers-Terschuren stated
that according to old herbarium specimens Ophrys passionis SENNEN is the correct name
for the archnitiformis s.l. populations in lowlands of Languedoc and Catalogne.
They separate the corresponding orchids from Rhone valley as Ophrys occidentalis,
and call those from the coast of the Provence Ophrys arachnitiformis.
The species similar to Ophrys garganica,
which up to then had been called Ophrys passionis,
was re-described with the new name Ophrys caloptera.
   Western Ophrys exaltata subsp. arachnitiformis F Frontignan 19.3.99 |
  Western Ophrys exaltata subsp. arachnitiformis left: F Chanas 12.3.00 right: F Charbieux 12.3.00 |
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Rev: 20-Apr-2004 |
