| Bee Orchid | Orchid family |
| Ophrys apifera | Orchidaceae |
The Bee Orchid flower has a velvety brown lip with yellow markings that resemble a bee. It also emits a scent reminiscent of the pheromone of a female wasp to attract wasps for pollination. When an insect alights on the flower, it brushes against the pollen sacs dangling on stalks at the top of the flower: these then spring forward, releasing pollen onto the insect.
|
|
|