O. willingii
was first described from Western Macedonia by Hirth and Paulus
in 2017 and is a member of the large and ever growing O. mammosa group
of Ophrys.
Its name is a reference to the 20th century botanist Eckhard Willing,
who originally recognized the species but without naming it.
The O. mammosa group of Greece and of northern Greece in particular, are famously difficult to separate and few of the members exhibit truly unique morphological characteristics that can be regarded as diagnostic. This dilemma coupled with the species relatively new discovery means that its range is not yet fully established. It is only known with certainty from a few sites in the central area of northern Greece between Ellasona and Preveza but it almost certainly occurs more widely.
O. willingii is a variable taxon which notwithstanding some suggested minor morphological differences, is almost impossible to separate satisfactorily from O. mammosa. There are however two key differentiators that distinguish them. Importantly they have different pollinators and secondly they flower consecutively not concurrently. O. mammosa first appears in late February and is disappearing by the end of April at which time O. willingii is just beginning and will continue until late May. Some authorities do not however accept O. willingii as a valid species, preferring to regard it as a single species with two separate flowering cycles.
The photos do not in themselves provide a satisfactory means of distinguishing the two species and are included by reference to their location (north of Ellasona) and the time of their appearance, which was the last week of April, at which time the flowers were just opening.
The O. mammosa group of Greece and of northern Greece in particular, are famously difficult to separate and few of the members exhibit truly unique morphological characteristics that can be regarded as diagnostic. This dilemma coupled with the species relatively new discovery means that its range is not yet fully established. It is only known with certainty from a few sites in the central area of northern Greece between Ellasona and Preveza but it almost certainly occurs more widely.
O. willingii is a variable taxon which notwithstanding some suggested minor morphological differences, is almost impossible to separate satisfactorily from O. mammosa. There are however two key differentiators that distinguish them. Importantly they have different pollinators and secondly they flower consecutively not concurrently. O. mammosa first appears in late February and is disappearing by the end of April at which time O. willingii is just beginning and will continue until late May. Some authorities do not however accept O. willingii as a valid species, preferring to regard it as a single species with two separate flowering cycles.
The photos do not in themselves provide a satisfactory means of distinguishing the two species and are included by reference to their location (north of Ellasona) and the time of their appearance, which was the last week of April, at which time the flowers were just opening.
