Appearance
The height of the plant is variable - it grows to between 15 - 50cm tall. Each inforescence carries up to 15 drab-looking flowers. The petals and sepals are green suffused with purple. The lip is the main distinguishing feature (from Ophrys speculum) and is recurved and deeply divided into three lobes. The two lateral lobes resemble 'arms' held out to the side of the central lobe. There is a greenish border to the lip which is fringed with rusty-brownish hairs.
Distribution
Ophrys lusitanica, has a fragmented distribution centred in the Algarve region of Portugal. It is known to occur in the Extremadura region of Spain. There is a further subspecies of the Mirror Orchid called Ophrys Regis-ferdinandii which is endemic to some of the eastern Aegean Islands and which looks very similar to Ophrys lusitanica.
Habitat
This orchid grows in stony habitats on calcareous substrates. In the Algarve it can often be found on the edge of footpaths and rough tracks.Reproduction
It flowers slightly later than Ophrys speculum - from the end of March to the beginning of May. This specimen shown here was photographed close to the coast in the Algarve in Portugal in April.References:
Some text fragments are auto parsed from Wikipedia.
http://www.first-nature.com/flowers/ophrys-speculum-lusitanica.phpSue Parker (2014) Wild Orchids of the Algarve - how, where and when to find them; First Nature
Chris Thorogood and Simon Hiscock (2014) Field Guide to the Wildflowers of the Algarve; Kew Publishing
Henrik AErenlund Pedersen & Niels Faurholdt (2007) Ophrys - The Bee Orchids of Europe; Kew
Pierre Delforge (2005) Orchids of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East; A&C Black
