User:DrPamelaIsley/Ophrys apifera

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plan: reorder and reorganize information, edit out words like "remarkable," add chemistry and etymology heading, add to existing sections

Description

Leaf Morphology

Leaves exhibit parallel venation.

Flower Morphology

Three purple sepals surround the base of the flower and can easily be mistaken for petals. The true petals, however, lie just above the sepals as two shorter, green structures projecting laterally from a central column. A third, modified petal, the labellum, sits at the center-bottom of the flower as a landing pad for pollinators.

Reproductive Organs

Root Morphology

A pair of underground root tubers act as nutrient storage organs during periods of strained plant development. They are covered by a multilayer velamen and hairs which, in tandem, increase water absorption and reduce water loss.

Ophrys apifera flower up close. Showing sepals, petals, column, and labellum.

Flower morphology of Ophrys apifera, showing sepals, petals, labellum, column, and pollinia.

Habitat and Ecology

Ophrys apifera generally grows on semi-dry turf, in grassland, on limestone, calcareous dunes or in open areas in woodland. It prefers well-drained calcareous soils, low in nutrients, in bright light or dim light. It is a major colonizer of sites disturbed by human activity, such as old quarries, roadside verges and airfields. O. apifera is one of the most likely European orchid species to establish itself within towns and cities.

Ophrys apifera relies upon a symbiotic relationship with mycorrhizal fungi in the genus Tulasnella, and possibly other genera, to extract sufficient nutrient from the soil it grows in. This makes it vulnerable to chemicals, particularly fungicides, but also other chemical applications which could reduce the prevalence of Tulasnella fungi.

This species of orchid is often threatened by mowing when it occurs during flowering or before seed has been released. However, it often also disappears from sites when they become overgrown with shrubs and/or trees, as it fails to compete with these large plants for light. For these reasons it is often found on the edge of areas that are mown, beside paths or within areas that are mown very infrequently. The Sussex Wildlife Trust recommends mowing at the end of July and removing the cuttings to benefit bee orchids. In prehistory, the species presumably relied upon seasonal grazing pressure, or was limited to early succession habitats and permanent grassland.

Reproduction

Ophrys apifera has been considered to preferentially practice self-pollination. The flowers are almost exclusively self-pollinating in the northern ranges of the plant's distribution, however pollination by the solitary bee Eucera longicornis occurs in the Mediterranean region, where Ophrys apifera is more common. [E. longicornis males have been observed attempting to copulate with the flowers, which emit allomones that mimic the scent of the female bee. These allomones are also known to attract bee species Trelonia cressa and Eucera pulveraceae. In addition, the lip [of the flower] acts as a decoy [which] the male bee confuses for a female. [It is believed that male bees preferentially select orchids with the most bee-like lips and attempt copulation, transferring ollen during the pseudocopulation.] pseudocopulation.

The flowers emit allomones that attract the bee species Tetralonia cressa and Eucera pulveraceae. Eucera longicornis males have been observed attempting to copulate with the flowers. It is also believed that male bees would preferentially select orchids with the most bee-like lips and attempt to mate with them, transferring pollen in the process.

Culture

Ophrys apifera is the county flower of Bedfordshire.

This species has appeared on postage stamps in many countries including Belgium, Cambodia, Czech Republic, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Slovenia, the United Kingdom and the USSR. In 2009 the bee orchid appeared in a series of stamps printed in the United Kingdom to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the publication of Charles Darwin's Origin of Species.

Taxonomy

The specific evolutionary relationships between members of this genus are still poorly understood, and the best method for classifying orchid species and their variants is highly debated. Some researchers propose classifying species based on their pollination tactics, while others propose classifying them based on the type of chemical emitted from the flower. A widely used and generally accepted method of classification distinguishes orchid species based on flower morphology. The taxonomy of O. apifera based on this classification scheme is as below:

Kingdom Plantae, Phylum Tracheophyta, Subphylum Angiospermae, Class Liliopsida, Order Asparagales, Family Orchidaceae, Subfamily Orchidoideae, Genus Ophyrus, Species O. apifera.

Chemistry

Floral parts display the presence of quercetin and kaempferol glycosides, which are supposed to be acylated, as well as cinnamic acid derivatives. The pink outer tepals show the presence of anthocyanins.