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MaltaWildPlants.com by Stephen Mifsud |
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Ophrys lunulata (Moon Spider Orchid) |
Ophrys lunulata (ORCHIDACEAE.) Images for this profile are taken from the Maltese Islands after year 2000. |
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Nomenclature and Basic Information |
Species name : |
Ophrys lunulataParlatore
Published in Parl., Gior. Sci. Sic. 62: 4 (1838) |
Synonyms :
(basionym or principal syn.) |
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Plant Family : |
Orchidaceae
Juss. (The Orchid Family) 41 species from the Orchidaceae family are recorded from the Maltese Islands. | English name(s) : | Moon Spider Orchid, Crescent Spider Orchid |
Maltese name(s) : |
Brimba tal-qamar, Orkida tal-qamar |
Status for Malta : |
Subendemic. Found in Malta and neighbouring territories such as in Sicily,
Lampedusa, Pantelleria, and other islands. |
Frequency : |
Very Common Common Frequent Scarce Rare Very rare Extinct |
Growth form : |
Raunkiaer lifeform [info]: GEOPHYTE ( bearing underground bulbs, rhizomes, stolons, etc. )
Germination [info]: Monocotyledon |
Legal Protection : |
Protected by law: Schedule VI of [S.L. 549.44] (strictly protected species) |
Red List (1989) : |
Not listed in the Red Data Book of the Maltese Islands |
Flowering Time : |
March – April |
Colour of Flowers: |
Brown or Dark |
Name Derivation : |
Ophrys: Eyebrow, referring to the brown, furry edges found in the flowering lips of several. (Latin origin )
lunulata:
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Remarks : |
Photos in this page are not taken from the Maltese Islands. |
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Description, Habitat and Distribution |
Habitat in Europe: |
Grassland, garigue, rocky scrub; calcicole. |
Preferred habitat in Malta: |
Garigue and open maquis, somewhat preferring sheltered locations |
Botanical Description: |
Plant up to 25 cm. Basal leaves 4-6, oblong-lanceolate. Spike 4- to 7-flowered, lax. Perianth-segments lilac, rarely whitish; outer 10-13 mm, ovate to oblong, obtuse, the lateral close to the labellum and deflexed-patent; inner 2/3 as long as or almost as long as the outer, linear-lanceolate. Labellum 10-12 mm, ovate, 3-lobed, the lateral lobes narrow, without or with small basal protuberances, strongly deflexed, the middle lobe with strongly deflexed margin, brown, rarely blackish-purple, with glabrous, greenish or yellow marginal zone, emarginate at apex, with small appendage; speculum crescentic, whitish or lilac to brown in the centre Connective acute. |
Distributional range: |
Islands of C. Mediterranean region. |
Distributional map in Europe and the Mediterranean region (2018): |
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Occurrences in Europe. (from Flora Europaea pre year 1993): |
Italy (excl. Sicily and Sardignia), Sardinia, Sicily and/or Malta |
Occurrences in Europe and the Mediterranean region. (from Euro+Med Checklist, 2019)
Country codes
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Si |
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