Family: Orchidaceae Bee Orchid Ophrys apifera Flowering time: June - July. Perennial Calcareous grassland and dunes, old quarries and meadows. Can be frequent in S and E England but rare in Ireland and absent from Scotland. The pink sepals are spread wide above a velvety reddish-brown labellum that resembles a bee. Erect leafy stem above a loose rosette of greyish-green leaves. Bee Orchids are self-pollinating in the UK. Height 25-45cm Named varieties include Wasp Orchid, Ophrys apifera var trollii

Bee Orchid, Ophrys apifera
The Purbecks, Dorset. June 2006