Orchids on the Island of Vis (eastern Adriatic - Croatia)

During the period from 1998-2000, a detailed and systematic study of orchids was conducted on the eastern Adriatic island of Vis, Croatia. Twenty-three taxa were classified into 7 genera, of which 15 species and 8 subspecies have been recorded. This represents 36% of the total number of orchid species on the Croatian Adriatic islands and 22% of the total number of orchid species so far known in Croatia. There are 18 new taxa for the island of Vis, with Ophrys bertoloniiformis, O. mammosa, and O. lacaitae being recorded for the first time within the Croatian flora This was the first finding of O. lacaitae outside Southern Italy and Sicily. Almost a half of the established taxa belong to the Mediterranean flora] element. The remaining species, apart from the Mediterranean and Sub-Mediterranean area, have been dispersed through other parts of Europe. The taxa Anacamptis pyramidalis and Ophrys lutea subsp. minor are the most numerous in terms of population volume