The Orchid Society of Great Britain

Northern Cyprus Holiday:
March 2010
Val William Bartlett (Photos by author and Michael McIllmurray)
Whilst on our OSGB organized holiday to
discover the orchids and other flora of North
Cyprus, I was asked by a committee member
to submit an article on the tour. As usual it
was extremely well organized by our tour
operator Tony Milhofer. He used expert
guidance from a charming Turkish Cypriot
lady, Zekiye Yucel of The Discovery Collection
(www.thediscoverycollection.com) and a
very amiable and helpful guide named Mars,
whose historical and geographical
knowledge of the island was second to none.
Two days had been allocated to search for
orchids, one led by a knowledgeable
botanist. However, on a third day we
explored the banks of a large lake and
associated meadows. On this last occasion
we were not expecting to find orchids, so
many an excited shout went up when a
member of the party spotted one or two, or
even a group of orchids.
We were able to photograph Ophrys, Orchis,
and Serapias species and Neotinea maculata.
Of these genera, Ophrys species are the most
dramatic as they vary in form, in colour and
in the patterns on the lip which mimic the
different type and size of bee or wasp that
fertilises that plant. Apart from its visual
shape, male insects are also attracted by its
olfactory and tactile signals. On landing on
the lip of the flower, the bee thinks it is a
female of the species and will attempt to
mate with the flower and in so doing picks
up the pollen on its head, which it carries to
another plant. On carrying out the same
procedure on the next flower, the pollen is
deposited within the stigmatic cavity.
Fertilisation takes place and at a later date
seeds are produced and dispersed.
Orchis species were also reasonably prolific,
showing much variation in shape, lip pattern
and colour of flowers. Orchis italica (the
naked man orchid) is also pollinated by bees
but does not have the bee-like lip of Ophrys,
relying on shape, colour and fragrance to
attract the pollinator. Dark hairs on the lip
may cause the insect to position itself with
Ophrys lutea subsp. galilaea
OSGBJ 2010 (59), No. 4 • 261