Species name :

Ophrys caesiellaP.Delforge
Published in Naturalistes Belges 81: 233 (2000)

Synonyms :
(basionym or principal syn.)

Ophrys gazella G.Foelsche & W.Foelsche

Full list of synonyms : [Euro+Med] [WFO] [IPNI] [POWO] [Catalogue of Life] [Worldplants.de]

Plant Family :

Orchidaceae Juss. (The Orchid Family)
41 species from the Orchidaceae family are recorded from the Maltese Islands.

English name(s) :

Maltese Brown Orchid

Maltese name(s) :

Dubbiena bikrija ta' Malta

Status for Malta :

Indigenous. Present on the Maltese islands before man

Frequency :

Very Common     Common    Frequent     Scarce     Rare    Very rare    Extinct

Growth form :

Germination type [info]: Monocotyledon
Raunkiaer lifeform [info]: Geophyte ( perennials bearing underground bulbs, tubers, rhizomes, stolons, etc. )

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 :

February – March

Colour of Flowers:

Brown or Dark

Toxicity:

Not particularly toxic

Name Derivation :

Ophrys: Eyebrow, referring to the brown, furry edges found in the flowering lips of several. (Latin origin)

caesiella: Caesi means a light skyblue colour and -iella indicates a small structure, hence with reference to the pale blue colour of the speculum of the small lips of the flowers belonging to this species. (Latin origin)

Planting in rural areas :

Can be planted in rural areas according to ERA Guidelines