This was a lucky find at the edge of a dusty road near a river which hadn't yet dried up. This is the only orchid of the many growing on Cyprus which is an endemic - a fact I didn't realise until a few days later. It is an uncommon orchid even on Cyprus which my wife found while I was busy photographing Trifolium stellatum in fruit. We never found another by ourselves on this holiday. Later in the week we were shown another plant on an organised trip near Hizarkoy.

Ophrys kotschyi is named after the Austrian botanist Theodore Kotschy (1813 -1866) who botanised in Turkey, Iran , Egypt and Cyprus.

Taxonomy: All authorities agree that Ophrys kotschyi H.Fleischm. & Soó is the accepted name for this orchid.

Ophrys kotschyi Cyprus Bee Orchid By path near river at Arapkoy, Northern Cyprus 6th April 2004 Previous   Next	Ophrys kotschyi Cyprus Bee Orchid Hillside near Hizarkoy, Northern Cyprus 8th April 2004 Previous   Next
Ophrys kotschyi	Ophrys kotschyi

LHS: hillside Hizarkoy 8th April 2004 RHS: By path at Arapkoy, 6th April 2004

Added on January 6th 2004, updated January 12th 2010, updated 21st January 2011