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Near Solarino (37ø 6'3.56"N 15ø 4'33.44"E) A suitable spot to look for orchids with parking space was found just west of Solarino, along Strada Stalale 124. Not as good as I had hoped, but a nice little collection of orchid flora dominated by Serapsia species - S. lingua, S. parviflora, S. intermedia sp hyblaea* and S. orientalis ssp siciliensis. Given their proximity and same flowering time I would not be disappointed to be told that one of these is in fact a hybrid. I find identification of this genus as tricky as Ophrys. They were accompanied by Anacamptis papilionacea and Himatoglossum robertianum well after flowering
Near Cassaro (37ø 6'7.43"N 14ø57'21.67"E) The next stop was also unscheduled. At the junction of the roads to Ferla and Cassaro is the car park for Ingresso Reserva Valle dell'Anapo. We walked perhaps half a kilometer along a path that could well have been a former railway line, it was so level and without tight curves. Along this were a number of orchids, but the star of the show was a large and striking specimen of Neotinea tridentata. Unfortunately it had decided to grow under a fence and was in deep shadow. I had to oh-so-gently push its flower into the light with one hand while taking the photos with the other. And that was after climbing over the fence to a steep slope on the other side. I think you will agree that it was worth the trouble. There were Ophrys incubacea there, and a similar flower that was largely going over. This is probably Ophrys exaltata ssp. exaltata* which is in bloom from mid march to early April.
After that we crossed the road bridge over the little gorge to where a few orchids grew on a steep grassy slope below some woodland. Here I found Anacamptis longicornu which seems to appreciate a bit of shade, Ophrys fusca, and possibly Ophrys sphegodes ssp. grasseona. Another Ophrys species was only just emerging and whether this was one of the above species or whether it was delayed due to growing in the soil and moss on top of a retaining wall will remain a mystery.
By the Masts (37ø 6'59.54"N 14ø50'50.68"E) We then went to a scheduled stop just past Bucheri, just on the other side of SS124, described as flat grassland ubelow the masts. I am not quite sure if this was the exact place. Certainly there were orchids, but not as many species as I expected. One could not be disappointed with the Ophrys tenthedrenifera and the variability shown in the plants. Could some of these have been hybrids? The were a few Ophrys panoramita, Ancamptis longicornu growing in the full sun for once, Orchis lactea and one flower that has the reflexed labellum of N. lactea, but the magenta stripes without any green on the sepals of N. tridentata. This I tentatively place as a hybrid N. lactea x tridentata. The A. papilionacea there is not yet in flower.
I have already mentioned the masts. It is perhaps lucky that we found this flat area of grassland with orchids visible from the road, or I may have proceeded further up the road. While on my knees snapping a Sawfly Orchid a car passed by on its way to the main road. It stopped and reversed back up to us. The window wound down and the man called across. "No photography. Militaire" he said pointing to the masts. He was good natured enough, but someone else may have wanted to examine the photos taken.
Buchieri to Sortino road ( 37ø 9'12.08"N 14ø56'54.83"E) There are several likely orchid sites along this road, SP24, but places where you can park and where the barbed wire fence is set far enough back are infrequent. This is one of those. It yielded a nice little selection of orchids. Stars of the site was what looks to be hybrids of two of three species growing there Ophrys lunulata x tenhedrenifera or more likely x panoramitana*. I confess that at the time I had taken them to be Op. lunulata, but reviewing the photos it is obvious the labella are fatter than the usual slimline ones, and the sepals are more ovate.
Buchieri to Sortino road (37ø 9'59.79"N 14ø59'55.62"E) There was another stop along the same road closer to the town of Sortino. Again there was a splattering of mixed orchid species, familiar and different. Just where we parked the car there was a group of Himantoglossum robertianum again well past their flowering time. Along the roadside embankment we found more Ophrys exaltata ssp. exaltata, Op. incubacea, Op. lutea, several of what I take to be Op. fusca ssp. sabulosa* Op. subfusca ssp. flammeola and of course more delightfully two-tone A. longucornu. There were a good number of Neotinia lactea including a pure white form Var. albida* (perhaps). I originally thought this was O. tridentata, but lack of any non-albino specimens virtually rules that out.
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