John and Gerry's Orchids of Britain and Europe |
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Mallorca |
Notable species :-
Anacamptis fragrans Anacamptis longicornu Anacamptis pyramidalis Anacamptis robusta Himantoglossum robertianum Neotinea conica Neotinea maculata Ophrys arnoldii Ophrys balearica Ophrys bilunulata Ophrys bombyliflora Ophrys decembris Ophrys dyris Ophrys fabrella Ophrys funditorum Ophrys incubacea Ophrys lupercalis Ophrys spectablis Ophrys speculum Ophrys tenthredinifera Orchis olbiensis Serapias lingua Serapias parviflora |
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Mallorca |
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Ophrys spectablis |
Ophrys balearica |
Anacamptis robusta |
Areas of interest 1. Coll de Sa Gremola From Andraitx
take the MA10 north towards Estellencs and after approx. 4kms you will find a
large car park on your left. The area has a picnic
site and is a popular pick up and parking facility for the several walking
trails that radiate from the site. Take the main path that leads westwards and
orchids can be found along the track and its environs for several kilometres. This whole
area was once forested but several years ago a disastrous fire reduced
the area to ash and for a few years orchids struggled. We can however happily
report that the orchids have returned and whilst numbers are still somewhat reduced,
all the original species are again in evidence. Species :- Ophrys funditorum, Ophrys lupercalis, Ophrys arnoldii, Ophrys
tenthredinifera, Ophrys spectablis, Ophrys bombyliflora, Ophrys balearica, Ophrys speculum, Ophrys
incubacea, Neotinea conica, Serapias parviflora, Orchis olbiensis. 2. Parc Naturel de S'Albufera de Mallorca This is a large area of mixed fresh and brackish wetland situated in the east of the island on the MA-12 between Alcudia and Can Picafort. Although a great attraction for birdwatchers, it does not offer any great botanical interest to the orchid enthusiast. There is however one notable exception to this observation and that is the presence of the extremely rare Anacamptis robusta, which can be found growing along just a few of the tracks that criss cross the reserve. Species:- Anacamptis robusta, Ophrys bombyliflora, Ophrys speculum. 3. Son Real This is an area of some 395 acres that was acquired by the Spanish Government in order to protect a number of its significant archaeological sites. The park is also of considerable interest to the botanist and contains a good variety of the islands orchid species. From Can Picafort take the MA-12 east towards Arta and after 3 kms take
the left turn signposted “Finca Son Real”. Park in the large parking area near the
farmhouse. From the north eastern end of the park there are four well
marked trails, all of which are rich in orchids. Whilst trail four is
perhaps the most productive, some species are not present on all the trails and
an exploration of each of them is necessary to complete all the species listed
below. Species:- Anacamptis fragrans, Anacamptis pyramidalis, Himantoglossum robertianum, Neotinea maculata, Ophrys bombyliflora, Ophrys funditorum, Ophrys fabrella, Ophrys balearica, Ophrys speculum, Ophrys tenthredinifera, Ophrys spectablis, Ophrys bilunulata, Ophrys arnoldii, Serapias lingua, Serapias parviflora. 4. Can Picafort This
is a popular tourist resort which in the summer experiences an enormous
influx of holidaymakers. In the Spring however numbers are low and the
towns coastal pine forest can be explored in relative peace and quiet.
A visit to Google maps reveals there are two significant areas of
woodland, both of which offer the orchid enthusiast a good variety of
species.The first is accessed by a car park located on the MA-12, some
200 metres beyond the Eroski Supermarket roundabout at the western end
of the town. The second is also accessed via this roundabout but going
south west towards Muro and is to be found along both sides of the
MA-3431 immediately after the second roundabout. Species:- Anacamptis fragrans, Anacamptis pyramidalis, Himantoglossum robertianum, Neotinea maculata, Ophrys bombyliflora, Ophrys funditorum, Ophrys balearica, Ophrys incubacea, Ophrys speculum, Ophrys tenthredinifera, Ophrys bilunulata, Serapias lingua, Serapias parviflora.
5. Parc Naturel de Mondrago This is a reserve of 785 hectares which is very popular with tourists who flock there to marvel at its beautiful scenery and (relatively) unspoilt beaches. The Parc was created in 1992 as the result of demonstrations against its development as a new resort. As with Can Picafort, it is less busy in the Spring and one can explore the areas varied landscapes and habitats at a leisurely pace. It is situated on the south east coast just a couple of kilometres east of the town of Santanyi and is well signposted. Mondrago is rich in both flora and fauna and many orchid species prosper here, including the early form of Anacamptis pyramidalis which is considered a subspecies of the ubiquitous later flowering type. Species:- Anacamptis fragrans, Anacamptis pyramidalis, Anacamptis pyramidalis (early form), Himantoglossum robertianum, Neotinea maculata, Ophrys bombyliflora, Ophrys funditorum, Ophrys balearica, Ophrys speculum, Ophrys tenthredinifera, Ophrys bilunulata, Serapias lingua, Serapias parviflora.
6. Cala
Figuera This is a small town once again heavily visited by tourists but which
is surrounded by significant areas of pine woodland and scrub. Find your way to
the Port de Cala Figuera and park in the small car park. From here follow the narrow path that takes you past the moorings and
fisherman’s lock ups and eventually to a raised track that is bordered by the
inlet on the right and an embankment to the left. This embankment supports
orchids and one can follow the path to the end of the inlet, up the hill on the
other side and into a large area of woodland and scrub which also holds
orchids. Species:- Anacamptis fragrans, Anacamptis pyramidalis, Anacamptis pyramidalis (early variant) , Ophrys balearica, Ophrys bombyliflora, Ophrys fabrella, Ophrys funditorum, Ophrys speculum, Ophrys tenthredinifera, Orchis italica, Serapias parviflora. 7. Puigpunyent From the town take the MA-1032 south towards Es Capdella. Suitable stretches of road verge, embankments and fringing woodland from the outskirts of Puigpunyent through to Galilea can yield good numbers of orchids and is particularly well known for healthy populations of both Anacamptis longicornu and Neotinea conica. Species:- Anacamptis fragrans, Anacamptis pyramidalis, Anacamptis longicornu, Neotinea maculata, Ophrys balearica, Ophrys bombyliflora, Ophrys funditorum, Ophrys arnoldii, Ophrys incubacea, Ophrys speculum, Ophrys bilunulata, Ophrys tenthredinifera, Ophrys spectablis, Serapias parviflora.
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