Ophrys fusca

Ophrys fusca is a plant of the family Orchidaceae that is found in Europe to Africa.

Distribution

Plants are found growing in the grasslands of Mediterranean Europe, North Africa and the Levant from 0 to 1500 meters in elevation

Description

Plant blooms from winter to spring with one to ten 5 cm flowers.

Culture

Plants prefer well-drained low-fertility soils and areas with partial shade. Plants are very sensitive to the addition of fertilizers or fungicides and transplanting because it kills symbiotic fungus. The plant is usually propagated through seed culture. This species is cool to cold growing. Divide plant when flower fades.

Subspecies

Image	Name	Description
	Ophrys fusca ssp. blitopertha Risso 1844	Plant is found in from Aegean Is. to SW. Turkey.Lip is dark brown with a light colored patch and yellow edge, sepals and petals are green
	Ophrys fusca ssp. cinereophila Paulus & Gack 1998	Plant is found from S. Greece to N. Syria. Lip is light brown with a light colored patch and yellow tip, sepals and petals are green
	Ophrys fusca ssp. cinereophila Paulus & Gack 1998	Plant is found from S. Greece to N. Syria. Lip is light brown with a light purple colored patch and yellow edge, sepals and petals are yellow green
	Ophrys fusca ssp. funera	Found in the mediterranean and also known as the funeral orchid. Lip is light brown with a purple colored patch, sepals and petals are green
	Ophrys fusca ssp. iricolor	Lip is light brown with a blue colored patch, sepals are brown and petals are green
	Ophrys fusca ssp. maxima	Lip is light brown with a blue colored patch, sepals are reddish with green edge and petals are green
	Ophrys fusca ssp. obaesa	Lip is light brown with a blue tinted colored patch, sepals and petals are green
	Ophrys fusca ssp. pallida (Rafinesque) E.G. Camus 1929	Plants are found in NW Sicily, NE Algeria, Malta and Tunisia. Lip is dark brown with purple patch, sepals are green and petals are white

Varieties

Image	Name	Description
	Ophrys fusca variant	Lip is dark brown with white patch and yellow green edge, sepals and petals are green
	Ophrys fusca variant	Lip is brown with yellow patch and yellow edge, sepals and petals are green
	Ophrys fusca variant	Lip is brown with pink patch and yellow edge, sepals and petals are green

Naming

Common name:The Brownish Ophyrs

Synonyms

1. Arachnites fusca Tod. 1893
2. Ophrys africana G.Foelsche & W.Foelsche 2001
3. Ophrys arnoldii P.Delforge 1999
4. Ophrys attaviria Rückbrodt & Wenker 1990
5. Ophrys bilunulata Risso 1844
6. Ophrys blitopertha Paulus & Gack 1998
7. Ophrys cinereophila Paulus & Gack 1998
8. Ophrys creberrima Paulus 1998
9. Ophrys cressa Paulus 1998
10. Ophrys creticola Paulus 1998
11. Ophrys ficuzzana H.Baumann & Künkele 1986
12. Ophrys funcrea Viviani 1824
13. Ophrys fusca subsp. akhdarensis B.Baumann & H.Baumann 2001
14. Ophrys fusca subsp. blitopertha (Paulus & Gack) Faurh. & H.A.Pedersen 2002
15. Ophrys fusca subsp. creberrima (Paulus) H.Kretzschmar 2002
16. Ophrys fusca subsp. cressa (Paulus) H.Kretzschmar 2002
17. Ophrys fusca subsp. creticola (Paulus) H.Kretzschmar 2002
18. Ophrys fusca subsp. thriptiensis (Paulus) H.Kretzschmar 2002
19. Ophrys fusca var. forestieri Rchb. f 1851
20. Ophrys fusca var. maculata Balayer 1986
21. Ophrys fusca var. rubescens Balayer 1986
22. Ophrys holoserica subsp. maxima (H. Fleischmann) Greuter 1967
23. Ophrys marmorata G.Foelsche & W.Foelsche 1998
24. Ophrys myodes Lapeyr. 1813
25. Ophrys nicotiae Zodda 1900
26. Ophrys obaesa Lojac. 1909
27. Ophrys obscura Beck 1879
28. Ophrys oestrifera Rchb. 1830
29. Ophrys parosica P.Delforge 1995
30. Ophrys pectus Mutel 1835
31. Ophrys peraiolae G.Foelsche & al. 2000
32. Ophrys peraiolae var. rubra G.Foelsche & al. 2000
33. Ophrys phaseliana D.Rückbr. & U.Rückbr. 1996
34. Ophrys sphegodes subsp. moesziana Soó 1927
35. Ophrys sulcata Devillers-Tersch. & Devillers 1994
36. Ophrys thriptiensis Paulus 1998
37. Ophrys tricolor Desf. ex Nyman 1882
38. Ophrys truncata Dulac 1867; Ophrys zonata Devillers-Tersch. & Devillers 1994