The Bumble Bee Orchid

[BlakeeBoo]

I saw an amazing orchid that looks like a bumble bee. The orchid tricks the insect into mating with it so the insect will pollinate the flower. (!!So cool!!)
Does anyone no the name of this Orchid and were to get it?

[made4engineering]

Ophrys. They are a temperate terrestrial genus, but I havent a clue where to get one

[BlakeeBoo]

No i know that one this one is actually yellow and black striped just like a bumble bee.

[psyc1210]

Do a search for Ophrys. I see different variations in color.
So I believe that made4engineering is correct.

[Tobi]

Here is a link for what I believe you are referring to:

Hull LBAP : Bee Orchid - 10k

[BlakeeBoo]

No this is still not it. It was featured in the book the orchid thief and in the movie adaptation.

[articuno75]

Is this it?

[BlakeeBoo]

No It is large and is striped horizontally like a bumbled be in flight.

[Orchidflowerchild]

You're thinking of Ophrys apifera.

-Cj

[BlakeeBoo]

No that is still not it The entire thing is Yellow and Black only.

[Orchidflowerchild]

Well, I'd suggest going over to orchidspecies.com and looking through the Ophrys pics. You're likely dealing with an Ophrys, of some sort, but "the bee orchid" isn't really much to go on, considering most of the genus looks like bees of one species or another.

This is why most orchid species are not referred to by common names. It is a huge group, the Orchidacea, and many common names overlap.

-Cj

[BlakeeBoo]

Yeah sorry lol to be more specific it is kinda long and skinny has three petals top petal is bee yellow the bottom two petals are striped black and yellow if that helps at all.

[kmarch]

If you saw it in a movie, be suspicious. I rarely see an orchid correctly represented in a movie or fictional TV show.

Common names like "Bee Orchid" are almost usless because different regions have different common names for the same orchid and one name can apply to many different orchids.

Get a pic and post it or better yet a proper name.

[BlakeeBoo]

True about the whole misrepresentation thing thank you all anyway.

['Chid Kid]

Is it Baptistonia echinata? Some call it the Bumble Bee orchid, but it's smaller than you're describing. Orchids Limited and T & C Terrariums have pictures. (I haven't posted enough to include URLs.)

[Andrew]

Originally Posted by kmarch

If you saw it in a movie, be suspicious. I rarely see an orchid correctly represented in a movie or fictional TV show.

I haven't seen Adaptation so I haven't seen the 'bumble bee orchid' in question. I do, however recall hearing on several forums that a lot of artistic licence was taken to make the Ophrys in the movie look more bee-like (God forbid that Hollywood should ever ask a movie goer to use their imagination). Still, if that was the only misrepresentation of fact in the movie, it's miles ahead of the book.

[BlakeeBoo]

I think it was this!
I knew i wasn't crazy!

[psyc1210]

Maybe it's just me, but that doesn't look like black and yellow, that looks yellow and burgundy. And it doesn't resemble a bee to me at all either.

[Debbie Hayden]

I guess what looks like a bee is in the eye of the BEEholder.

[fred]

hehehe I am getting a BUZZZZ out of this thread lol

[BlakeeBoo]

Originally Posted by psyc1210

Maybe it's just me, but that doesn't look like black and yellow, that looks yellow and burgundy. And it doesn't resemble a bee to me at all either.

Well that is what i met by a relative. The flower was exactly like that one in the picture except the dot were stripes, the dots were balck and it was enlongated a little.

[articuno75]

Well that is what i met by a relative. The flower was exactly like that one in the picture except the dot were stripes, the dots were balck and it was enlongated a little.

With the changes then it wouldn't "bee" exactly the one in the picture then would it?

[BlakeeBoo]

lol the puns are killing me and my internet spell theck is not working. What i ment for people to get out of that twisted explination is that it has the same general shape and color.