Orchid flower

Credit: PAUL HARCOURT DAVIES/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Caption: Orchid flower (Ophrys apulica). This orchid looks similar to the late spider orchid (O. holoserica or fuciflora) of which it is sometimes classified as a subspecies. It is one of the bee orchids, so named for the coloured and shaped part of the flower that resembles a bee. This bee-like part is a specialised petal, called the lip, that attracts pollinators. This orchid is found only in Italy, including the island of Sicily. It is a terrestrial orchid (one that grows in the ground). There are more than 30,000 species of orchids worldwide, many of which are grown as ornamental flowers. Photographed in Gargano, Italy.

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Keywords: biological, biology, botanical, botany, european, flower, flowering, gargano, italian, italy, late spider orchid, mimesis, mimic, nature, one, ophrys apulica, ophrys holoserica apulica, orchid, plant, reproduction, reproductive, single, temperate, terrestrial

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