| Ophrys speculum Link, it is a tuberous geophyte, erect and glabrous herb, up to 37 cm. Tubers sub globular or ovoid or ovat-eglobosae, shortly stipitate. Basal leaves 4-6, forming a rosette, oblong or largely lanceolate, pointed and ± apiculalc, abruptly attenuate at base. Cauline leaves 1-3, reduced and largely sheathing. Inflorescence usually few-flowered, attaining up to 19 cm. Bracts oblong or lanceolate, distinctly green. Flowers small, spreading. Sepals oval-oblong, sub equal, obtuse, glabrous, 3-nerved, yellowish-green with reddish tinge, median lobe shortly cucullate and recurved. Petals spreading, frequently very minute, 1-nerved, triangular, finely papillose-velutinous, blackish-purple. Labellum ovovate-cuneate, somewhat convex, trifid beyond middle, center glabrous, glossy and blue, surrounded by a yellow band, margin tawny, revolute and densely villous; lateral lobes oblong-linear, small; midlobe sub orbicular or oblong to ovate, obtuse or somewhat retuse, not appendaged. Gynostemium larger than the median sepal, rostellum obtuse, notched, stigma very short. Anther obovate-oblong, obtuse or shortly incurved. Ovary cylindrical, glabrous. Life Form: G , Flowering in: Feb-Apr, Vern:—————–, Phytochoria: MED, The native range of this species is Medit. Notes: Wild in Libya.
For more information: https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:648125-1, https://www.ipni.org/n/648125-1, https://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0000258449, https://www.gbif.org/species/2792665, https://africanplantdatabase.ch/en/nomen/specie/161250/ophrys-speculum-link, https://www.preservons-la-nature.fr/flore/taxon/3085.html, https://www.florealpes.com/fiche_ophrysciliata.php, https://www.maltawildplants.com/ORCH/Ophrys_speculum.php https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ophrys_speculum |
| Distribution in Libya | ||
| Al-Jafarah Plain | Jabal Nafusa | Al-Jabal Al-Akhder |
| Tripoli, Ain Zara 1919 | Tarhuna, Abiar Milgah, Sul Ras Has, Wadi Masaaba, Wadi Sart 1919 | Between Marawah and Faidia, (50km) from Faidea 1939 Tocra 1945 Wadi El-Kauf, (1 km) from Ras El-Hilal on way to Shahat old road 1980 Jebun 1983 Wadi Zaza 2003 Wadi El-Kouf 2014 |
| Bibliographic references: | |
| First: Encyclopedia Flora of Libyan: | |
| Jafri, S.M.H. & El-Gadi, A. (1985) Flora of Libya, Orchidaceae Vol. (119) Department of Botany, Al-Faateh Univ., Tripoli, Libya. | |
| Second: Researches and PhD theses, master theses, Sorted by Newest: | pdf files |
| El-Mokasabi, F M. (2014) Floristic Composition and Traditional Uses of Plant Species at Wadi Al-kuf, Al-Jabal Al-Akhder, Libya. American-Eurasian J. Agric. & Environ. Sci., 14 (8): 685-697, 2014, ISSN 1818-769,IDOSI Publications,2014 DOI: 10.5829/idosi. aejaes. 2014.14.08.12375. https://bit.ly/3VtCvAA, https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/441b/23b83960f007044aca94e26f5c6b170fe102.pdf | Plant Species at Wadi Al-kuf 2014 |
| El-Barasi, Y. M., EI-Sherif, l. M. & Gawhari, A. M. H.(2003) Checklist and analysis of the flora and vegetation of Wadi Zaza at AI-Jabal AI Akhdar (Cyrenaica, Libya). Bocconea 16 (2): 1091-1105. 2003. – ISSN 1120-4060. https://bit.ly/3VowJ3q, http://www.herbmedit.org/bocconea/16-1091.pdf | flora and vegetation of Wadi Zaza 2003 |
