Bee Orchid - Ophrys apifera

Short to medium plant with oval to lanceolate plain green leaves. Flowers 2 to 11 in a slender lax spike, brownish purple to yellowish green, with pink or purple sepals; lip three lobed 10 to 13 mm with a yellowish pattern enclosing a reddish brown shield shaped zone, tip incurved.

Photograph of the plant in its habitat (RPR)

Short and rough grassy habitats, banks and quarries.

June and July.

Perennial.

Occasional to fairly frequent over much of England, favouring the south-east, and rare in the south-west and in Wales.

Now frequent in Leicestershire and Rutland; it used to be scarce but has rapidly increased its range nationally.  In the Flora of Leicestershire (Primavesi and Evans 1988) it was found in 18 of the 617 tetrads, and in the Flora of Rutland (Messenger 1971) in 7  tetrads.

The record for Bloody Oaks on 21st June 2015 is believed to be the first for the 'Wasp Orchid' variety in VC55.