Ophrys doerfleri

Naming

In 2005, Helmut Presser studied several Cretan colonies of what were thought to be the typical Greek O. mammosa but it was eventually concluded that these plants were in fact the same as those collected from Gavdos and named O. doerfleri. By way of complication Messrs Baumann and Lorenz (also in 2005) had separately been reviewing this species and named it O. mammosa subsp falsomammosa. Given that the original name (O. doerfleri) had been incorrectly linked to a species of the O. reinholdii group, falssomammsa may be considered more appropriate and the name that goes forward. Nonetheless it has now been agreed that O. mammosa does not occur on Crete and that currently the group is represented by O. doerfleri. Some authorities believe that O. doerfleri is an ancient intermediate between O. mammosa and O. spruneri.