by Brian & Eileen Anderson.
Brian & Eileen lead wild flower and orchid tours in North Cyprus either through Peten Tours or as private groups
North Cyprus offers an exciting destination for the lovers of wild orchids. Limestone geology, wide ranging habitats, typical Mediterranean climate and plenty of northern facing slopes provide ideal conditions for the proliferation of wild orchids.
The Kyrenia (Beşparmak) range is a range of mountains, largely but not exclusively limestone, running east west parallel with the coast. The southern side gets baked in the sun both summer and winter while the northern aspect gets far more protection from the hot sunshine and more cloud cover. It is on these northern slopes where orchids can be found in abundance. Cultivation has claimed the lower slopes leading down to the sea but even here, especially towards the western end around Cape Koruçam, there are plenty of species to find at lower levels.
Fortunately, there is a good walking book by Alison Dowey 'Walks in North Cyprus' produced and sold locally. Many of the mountain walks lead through good orchid locations and, helpfully, this is indicated in the text.
Orchids of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East by Pierre Delforge (English edition 2006) is an excellent guide but even better is the book dedicated to Cyprus by C. A. J. Kreutz, 'The Orchids of Cyprus'. The text here is in both German and English and is lavishly illustrated.
When to visit?
The orchids start to flower very early in Cyprus and some species can be seen in flower in January. From this point in time the season unfolds only slowly and there are few to be seen until the second half of February. Now the season starts to accelerate and March is an excellent month for seeing a wide range of species. The first part of April remains good, the earlier flower species being replaced by the later flowering orchids but the second part of April sees a significant decline leaving possible only 2 or 3 species in flower by the end of the month. As always there are seasonal variations according to the climatic conditions prevailing, not just in spring but in the preceding autumn and winter.
Below is a check list of orchid species found in Northern Cyprus and with many illustrations further down the page.
Check list of species;
| Ophrys herae | Ophrys israelitica | Orchis simia |
| Ophrys hystera | Ophrys elegans | Orchis syriaca |
| Ophrys mammosa | Ophrys kotschyi | Orchis tridentata |
| Ophrys morio | Ophrys levantina | Barlia robertiana |
| Ophrys apifera | Ophrys melana | Anacamptis pyramidalis |
| Ophrys attica | Ophrys sicula | Dactylorhiza romana |
| Ophrys flavomarginata | Orchis anatolica | Neotinea maculata |
| Ophrys lapethica | Orchis sezkiana | Serapias aphrodite |
| Ophrys rhodia | Orchis collina | Serapias bergonii |
| Ophrys umbilicata | Orchis fragrans | Serapias levantina |
| Ophrys bormuelleri | Orchis sancta | Serapias parviflora |
| Ophrys cinereophila | Orchis italica | Spiranthes spiralis |
| Ophrys iricolor | Orchis punctulata | Limadorum abortivum |
Ophrys israelitica (left)
Ophrys cinereophila (right)
O. israelitica is one of the earliest orchids to flower but its flowering period is well spread and it can be seen from January through until April.
The yellow edge on the lip of O. cinereophila is very variable and sometimes barely noticeable. This can lead to confusion with O. israelitica but the distinguishing feature is the v-shaped depression at the base of the lip of O. cinereophila which is never present in O. israelitica. Neither orchid is particularly rare.
Ophrys morio (left)
Ophrys mammosa (right)
The Ophrys sphegodes-mammosa group on Cyprus is the group most likely to cause problems with identification. It has been subdivided into 4 species, these three here and O. herae . Those described here are fairly distinctive but O. herae far less so. The two shown left and right here flower about the same time but O. morio is distinguished by the very pinched lip compared to the rounded lip of O. mammosa.
The sepals too may be more strongly coloured. Both these pictures were taken in February.
Ophrys hystera (left)
This is the third member of the group. It flowers rather later than the others and grows more strongly giving a much taller plant with laxly arranged flowers. This picture was taken in early April and shows the first flower which had just opened.
The above two species occur widely in Northern Cyprus but O. hystera is less well know. On our tour in the spring of 2008, we found a number of these plants in different locations mainly at the western end.
Ophrys attica (left) Ophrys flavomarginata (right)
Although these two species have a number of features in common, green sepals with the dorsal sepal arched over and similar speculum markings, they are mostly easily distinguished by the shape and size of the lip. O flavomarginata is larger and broader. It does not always have a significant yellow margin as the name suggests. The latter species is more widespread across the region but O. attica is more confined to the west towards the Koruçam peninsula. The February/March flowering periods are similar but O. flavomarginata appears before O. attica
Ophrys lapethica (left) Ophrys umbilicata (right)
Two more bee orchids which have strong similarities. O. lapethica has a slightly longer and more slender lip compared to the rounder, fatter lip of O. umbilicata. The side lobes on O. lapethica are more hairy and the sepals not quite as long. The lip markings on O. umbilicata tend to cover a larger area of the lip.
O. umbilicata has very strong similarities with O. attica except the sepals are pink.
O. umbilicata. is perhaps more widely distributed across the region whereas O. lapethica is more likely to be found in the west.
Ophrys rhodia (left) Ophrys elegans (right)
O. rhodia is rare on Cyprus and it is quite difficult to be certain of its identity. It shows most of the characteristics of O. attica shown above. The main differences are the lip is fuller in O. rhodia and the speculum markings stronger, distinctly white and extend further towards the apex. It flowers a little later than O. attica, from March into early April.
Early flowering O. elegans is relatively easy to identify. The long, drawn back pink sepals are distinctive as is the large chestnut brown patch at the base of the lip. This brown basal patch is significantly larger than on other species of bee orchid seen in North Cyprus. This photograph was taken in late February.
Ophrys iricolor (left) Ophrys sicula (right)
Both these orchids are very distinctive and easily recognised. O. iricolor has a large lip, probably the largest of all the bee orchids found in North Cyprus, but most significant is the large iridescent blue speculum from which it derives its name. The lip too tends to be held out horizontally.
O. sicula is unlikely to be confused with any other bee orchid in this location. The broad yellow edge and the yellowish green sepals are the first indication but the brown labellum marking forking into the apex of the lip is a key feature.
Ophrys levantina (left) Ophrys bornmuelleri (right)
O.levantina is very common in North Cyprus and can be found across the region. It is not too difficult to identify although it can be confused with Ophrys bornmuelleri. The differences lie in the shape of the lip which is well illustrated in these two photographs and its earlier flowering time. It comes into flower early March around two weeks ahead of O. bornmuelleri.
Again O. bornmuelleri is well distributed across the region and is not rare. It shows far great variation in the lip colour especially than O. levantina. Very often it can be seen with greenish to yellowish wide labellum margins. The speculum too shows a greater variation than is seen with O. levantina.
Ophrys kotschyi (left) Orchis collina (right)
This endemic is the most spectacular of all the bee orchids on Cyprus. It is fairly common in the north but far less so in the south of the island. The markings can vary very considerably but its other features are fairly constant, i.e. green sepals with the dorsal sepal arched forward and the slightly recurved petals touched with brown. It is widely distributed across the range and flowers from mid-March into April.
Orchis collina is very distinctive and cannot be confused with any other species. It varies considerably in colour from white through to dark purple. This one is a very early species flowering from late January until the end of February. It is comparatively rare in the north.
Orchis anatolica (left) Orchis syriaca (right)
Delicate and dainty, O. anatolica is a delightful orchid and a personal favourite. It occurs the length of the Kyrenia range but only at higher levels. It is unlikely to be confused with any other orchid species in the region but, if in doubt, look for the long spur projecting almost horizontally behind the flower. It comes into flower early March and persists through until April.
O. syriaca is another widespread orchid occupying habitats from sea level to 1000m. It is very variable in lip size and colour but the lip is always without spots. In contrast to O. anatolica, the spur behind the flower is comparatively short and blunt-ended. It flowers early, from mid-February into March, is distributed across the range and not difficult to find.
Orchis
punctulata (left)
Orchis italica (right)
O. punctulata is rare in North Cyprus with only a few known locations in the western part of the region. It is a tall orchid but its yellowish green flowers alone sets it apart from all others in the region. The small inset shows a single man-shaped flower. The 'dots' on the lip are small brownish clumps of hair. Search for it between mid-February and mid-March.
O. italica is a showy orchid which occurs
across the region. It is very
variable
in flower colour and white forms are not unusual. The flower itself is again
shaped like the figure of a man with an appendage between the lower lobes of the
lip. This gives it its common name of The Naked Man Orchid. Flowers mid-March
into April.
Orchis sancta (left) Orchis fragrans (right)
Both these are late flowering orchids with O. fragrans appearing in mid-April, a week or two earlier than O. sancta.
O. sancta is fairly rare in North Cyprus but it not impossible to find. Its spreads itself across the region but is found more frequently in the west. Not difficult to identify, the lip is fairly large and unspotted. The colour is mostly pink but it does vary and can sometimes be tinged with brown.
O. fragrans (O.coriophora ssp fragrans) is seen much more frequently and is well distributed across the region. Easily distinguished from O. sancta by its denser inflorescence and by its spotted labellum.
Barlia robertiana
Serapias levantina
Barlia robertiana, the giant orchid, is a tall robust species often growing to 50cm. It is very early flowering starting in mid-February. Although common in the north of the island, it does turn up here and there. Its colour varies considerably from whitish green to darker colours like the one here. Identification is not a problem with its robust size and characteristic flower shape.
The Serapias group always provides problems with identification especially since populations often include different species. S. levantina is one of the most common of the Serapias in the north and can sometimes be distinguished by the the often short and crowded flower spike which fails to extend like the other species.
All the above photographs were taken in North Cyprus. Species not illustrated include Ophrys herae, O.apifera, O. melana, Orchis sezkiana, O.simia, O. tridentata, Anacamptis pyramidalis, Neotinea maculata, Serapias aphrodite, Serapias bergonii, Spiranthes spiralis, Limadorum abortivum