Ophrys isaura

Ablamut

Plants to 40 cm. Leaves ± basal, broadly lanceolate. Spike to 25 cm, to 12-flowered, lowest flower low on stem. Bracts exceeding flowers. Sepals strongly reflexed, green, sometimes suffused greyish-violet, 12 x 5mm. Petals ligulate, 4 x 2.5mm, whitish-green, ± suffused with rose, minutely hairy. Labellum horizontally spreading, c. 10 mm, 3-lobed; middle lobe with narrow base, margins recurved, maroon or dark brown, velvety, with yellowish subglabrous margins towards apex, and with yellowish-green, glabrous, upturned appendix; lateral lobes· small, with short, outward-directed horns, densely villous outside, whitish and glabrous inside; speculum on inner half of labellum, of white ribbons encircling brownish spots. Connective short, acute. Fl. 5-6. Macchie, Quercus forest, on extremely calcareous soil, c. 850 m.

Endemic. E. Medit. element.