Kos

Notable species :-

Anacamptis brachystachys
Anacamptis sancta
Limodorum abortivum
Ophrys achillis
Ophrys calypsus
Ophrys cesmeesis
Ophrys ellinicaea
Ophrys eos
Ophrys ethemeae
Ophrys galilaea
Ophrys hippocratis
Ophrys meropes
Ophrys ptolemaea
Ophrys tili
Ophrys mesaritica
Ophrys pelinaea
Ophrys sitiaca
Serapias carica
Serapias carica var. monantha
Serapias cycladum
Serapias orientalis
Serapias senni
Serapias spaethaie

Notable species :- Anacamptis brachystachys Anacamptis sancta Limodorum abortivum Ophrys achillis Ophrys calypsus Ophrys cesmeesis Ophrys ellinicaea Ophrys eos Ophrys ethemeae Ophrys galilaea Ophrys hippocratis Ophrys meropes Ophrys ptolemaea Ophrys tili Ophrys mesaritica Ophrys pelinaea Ophrys sitiaca Serapias carica Serapias carica var. monantha Serapias cycladum Serapias orientalis Serapias senni Serapias spaethaie
	Kos

Ophrys ellinicaea	Ophrys cesmeesis	Ophrys ptolemaea
Overview Kos is an island with an impressive species list but any visiting orchidologist should be aware that finding its special orchids is far from easy. A combination of over-grazing, subsistence agriculture, deforestation and some vulgar, seemingly unrestricted tourist development has taken a severe toll on the habitat available to the flora and fauna. Many of the Aegean islands have suffered a degree of this degradation but in the authors experience, none more so than Kos. When reading the notes below it should therefore be borne in mind that there are very few sites where you can expect to find substantial orchid populations. Most species persist singly or in small colonies, often over large areas. An exception to this observation are the various Serapias taxons which in some areas do indeed form vast populations, presumably because they are distasteful to sheep and goats ? For this reason they have not been included in the species lists below. Areas of interest * Lagada Beach (south) The isthmus to the east of Kefalos that separates the two main land masses of the island is formed mainly of arid, degraded phrygana and strip farming but it nonetheless supports some small pockets of orchids, including the extremely rare O. ptolemaea. It is a large area, often completely devoid of botanical interest but the vicinity around Lagada beach does reward some footwork. From the Kefalos to Kos airport road take the signposted, right turn down the track to the beach. After 150 meters a smaller track runs east to west across the road and orchids can be found sparingly in both directions. Ophrys iricolor, Ophrys ferrum-equinum, Ophrys ferrum-equinum var. minor, Ophrys galilaea, Ophrys umbilicata, Ophrys ethemeae, Ophrys mammosa, Anacamptis papilionacea ssp aegaea, Anacamptis brachystachys. * Lagada Beach (north) From the Kefalos to Kos airport road take the left turn at the Lagada Beach crossroads. The area beyond the Volcania Winery turnoff, particularly to the north of the track is of interest. Orchis italica, Ophrys ptolemaea, Ophrys galilaea, Anacamptis fragrans, Anacamptis brachystachys, Limodorum abortivum, Himantoglossum robertianum. * White Stone Cave Take the main road south from Kefalos and stop at the parking area at N36.7209 E26.604. The roads that run south and particularly east of this point are orchid friendly and support several of the islands less common species. The visitor will however need to be prepared to cover some ground. Ophrys ptoleaea, Ophrys tili, Ophrys ethemeae, Ophrys ellinicaea, Ophrys cinereophila, Ophrys calypsus, Ophrys apifera, Ophrys hippocratis, Ophrys meropes, Anacamptis brachystachys, Anancamptis papilionacea ssp aegea. * Aghios Ioannis Situated on the north coast some 3kms west of Mastichari, a wide area around the seaside church supports small numbers of orchids but particularly O. ellinicaea and O, tili. It should be noted that these two species are widely held to be synonymous. Ophrys eos, Ophrys galilaea, Anacamptis sancta, Anancamptis, Anacamptis papilionacea ssp aegea., * Pili The town of Pili is siuated in the western foothills of the Dikeos mountains in the east of the island. Leave the town taking the road south to the cemetery. Once there, park on the right opposite the entrance and a path leads to an area of abandoned terraces. Ophrys pelinaea, Ophrys ethimaea, Ophrys tili, Ophrys cinereophila, Ophrys eos, Anacamptis papillionacea ssp. aegea, Anacamptis brachystachys. * Pili From the cemetery the road winds uphill for approximately 500 meters until it forms a junction with the second road running south from Pili. Along this 500 meters there are several opportunites to explore paths and terraces where although orchids are not abundant, many species are represented. Beyond this area the habitat becomes more and more dergraded. Ophrys meropes, Ophrys pelinaea, Ophrys sancti-isidorii, Ophrys tili, Ophrys achillis, Ophrys leochroma, Ophrys mammosa, Ophrys galilaea, Ophrys parvula, Ophrys cesmeesis, Anacamptis brachystachys, Anacamptis fragrans, Anacamptis cacasica, Neotinea maculata. * Platani The town is situated in the far east of the island just a few kilometers south west of Kos. Take the road south (Legkron) and after the T junction carry on southwards where the terrain opens up into phrygana and light woodland. The area is not species rich but is a stronghold for O. cesmeesis. * Kefalos The area around Kefalos and most particularly to the north is a mixture of phrygana and strip farming which is criss crossed with a network of rough tracks, some of which are negotiable with care. As with other of the locations on Kos, the area is not orchid rich but does offer pockets of less grazed land that hold some of the islands special orchids. An example reference would be N36 45 27.874 E26 56 38.336. Ophrys ptolemaea, Ophrys elleniceae, Ophrys hippocratis, Ophrys umbilicata, Limodorum abrtivum, Anacaptis papillipnacea ssp. aegea, Anacamptis fragrans, Anacamptis cauasica.