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______________________________________________________________________ ORCHIDS
Several Mediterranean/Aegean/Balkan field guides will provide an introduction to the orchids of the area. Kalopissis, Y.T. 1988. The orchids of Greece. Cretan Ecosystem RC. is available in Greek and English with maps and illustrations, and, more specifically, Antonopoulos, Z. 2009. The bee orchids of Greece: the genus Ophrys. Mediterraneo Editions. There is also a website dedicated to Greek orchids, with a page specifically on the long-horned bee orchids of Thásos, and images of Greek orchids can be found here. Recently Petrou, N., Petrou, M. & Giannakoulias, M. Orchids of Greece (2011) have published the first complete reference guide to Greek orchids, including all taxa, with 212 species and subspecies described and illustrated.
Bug orchid Anacamptis fragrans (Pollini) Loose-flowered orchid Anacamptis laxiflora Lamarck Pink butterfly orchid Anacamptis papilionacea Linnaeus Painted orchid Anacamptis picta (Loisel.) Pyramidal orchid Anacamptis pyramidalis (Linnaeus) Holy orchid Anacamptis sancta (Lam.) Narrow-leaved helleborine Cephalanthera longifolia (Linnaeus) Red helleborine Cephalanthera rubra (Linnaeus) Sack-carrying Dactylorhiza Dactylorhiza saccifera (Brongn.) Broad-leaved helleborine Epipactis helleborine (Linnaeus) Violet limodore Limodorum abortivum (Linnaeus) Twayblade Neottia ovata (Linnaeus) Bee orchid Ophrys apifera Hudson Horned orchid Ophrys cornuta Steven Dark bee orchid Ophrys fusca s.l. Link Lesser yellow bee orchid Ophrys sicula Tineo Bosom orchid Ophrys mammosa s.l. (Desf.) Early spider orchid Ophrys sphegodes Miller Naked man orchid Orchis italica Poiret Provence orchid Orchis provincialis Balbis Four-spotted orchid Orchis quadripunctata Ten. Monkey orchid Orchis simia Lamarck Greater butterfly orchid Platanthera chlorantha (Custer) Ploughshare orchid Serapias bergonii E.G. Camus Heart-flowered serapias Serapias cordigera (Linnaeus) Ploughshare orchid Serapias vomeracea s.l. (Burm.) Autumn lady’s tresses Spiranthes spiralis (Linnaeus)
UNCONFIRMED SPECIES Dense-flowered orchid Neotinea maculata (Desf.) Toothed orchid Neotinea tridentata (Scopoli) A spider orchid Ophrys atrata (Lindley) A woodcock orchid Ophrys bremifera Steven A spider orchid Ophrys epirotica (Renz)
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Orchids, because of their rarity and beauty, hold a special fascination for
all naturalists. On Thásos the orchid flora consists of 27 confirmed species
and a further five whose presence needs verifying. Some species will be familiar
to botanists from north-western Europe, such as pyramidal orchid and autumn lady’s
tresses, but there are also more exotic species including violet limodore and
heart-flowered serapias. In damp lowland meadows loose-flowered orchids can be
spectacular and abundant. During my visits I have rarely encountered other
species - limodore in the chestnut woods above Panagia, Provence orchid in
montane pastures among the conifers below Profitis Ilias, and horned orchid in
the old olive groves on the slopes above Thassos Town. No doubt more observant
botanists will find these and other orchid species more frequently but I think
it’s true to say that they are localised and hence always a delight when
stumbled upon.