The second phase of a series of studies on a curious endemic orchid discovered on mainland Malta kicked off as environment technician Stephen Mifsud started monitoring the plant’s main pollinator.
The discovery, made by Mr Mifsud nearly four years ago, is of a variety of the common Bumblebee Orchid with smaller flowers.
In most other plant families, the flower’s size is of little importance but the shape and size of the orchid species of Ophrys have to match that of a specific pollinator, usually bees and wasps, Mr Mifsud said.
The insect is not attracted by the bright colours or nectar of this particular group of orchids but by the size of the flower mimicking the female of the corresponding pollinator.
Pollen sacs are glued to the attracted male that lands on the flower for copulation, Mr Mifsud said. The pollen is then carried to another flower during another reproduction attempt.
“The new orchid from Malta resembles the Ophrys bombyliflora but it is about two thirds smaller,” said Mr Mifsud, who studies local botany.Other minor differences include a more oblong shape in the lip and more contrasting ash grey patterns on its dark brown background.Mr Mifsud discovered this plant in March 2007 at Pembroke but recognised its importance when visiting the site the following year to find more than 100 plants dwelling in a three-metre-squared area.
The combination of such small flowers and large leaves was neither a casual insignificant occurrence nor a case of stunted growth, he said. A smaller population was found in Rabat.
Studies were pursued for another year with German orchidologist Richard Lorenz. However, genetic analysis and pollination studies could not be carried out because of lack of funding. The plant’s scientific name and ranking was limited to Ophrys bombyliflora forma parviflora S Mifsud.
If the pollinator species is found to be different from that of the Ophrys bombyliflora, the plant might be promoted to a higher taxonomical ranking, namely a sub-species, and if this plant is not recorded by other countries, the orchid retains its current endemic status.
Mr Mifsud hopes to find further support for his work and if given the opportunity, he plans on furthering his studies in this field of natural sciences.
The discovery was published in the Journal of European Orchids, under the reference: Mifsud Stephen (2009) A new form of Ophrys bombyliflora Link descri-bed from Malta, Journal of European Orchids 41(3/4 611-622. (Dec 2009).
www.maltawildplants.com/ORCH