Dracula Simia (Monkey Face Flower), Native To The Mountainous Regions of Ecuador, Colombia, and Peru

Dracula Simia is also called monkey orchid or the monkey-like Dracula, is an epiphytic orchid originally described in the genus Masdevallia, but later moved to the genus Dracula. The arrangement of column, petals and lip strongly resembles a monkey's face. The plant blooms at any season with several flowers on the inflorescence that open successively. Flowers are fragrant with the scent of a ripe orange.

This flower species was christened by botanist Carlyle A. Lueren in 1978. Dracula simia translates to "little dragon monkey, with reference to its long fang like petals." Despite their eerie resemblance to monkeys, the flowers are fragrant with the scent of a ripe orange. 

Today approximately 90 species that are found in moist forests, mostly in western Colombia and Ecuador, are recognized. Dracula have short, creeping rhizomes with short, erect, one-leafed, thin textured shoots with a distinct midrib. The colorful, typically single flowers are usually large and pendent, although some species exhibit erect inflorescences. Individual flowers are usually produced singly in succession and in some species, inflorescences are capable of producing 5, 6 or more flowers during the lifetime of the inflorescence.

The tips of the sepals form long, slender tails. At the uppermost part, the short petals have a warty texture which can give the appearance of two eyes along either side of the nose-like column. Draculas are very popular in hobbyist collections and many species and hybrids are now in cultivation. Whether due to the interesting flowers or to the fanciful names, D. vampira, D. chimaera, D. bella, D. gorgona and D. simia are some of the sought-after species.

The World Monocot Checklist contains 124 accepted names, including 2 natural hybrids. The genus Dracula is probably most famous for containing the monkey face orchids (Dracula simia). Thanks to our predisposition for pareidolia, we look at these flowers and see a simian face staring back at us. Less obvious, however, is the intricate detail of the labellum, which superficially resembles the monkey's mouth. A close inspection of this highly modified petal would reveal a striking resemblance to some sort of gilled mushroom.

Indeed, a mushroom is exactly what the Dracula orchids are actually trying to mimic. The main pollinators of this genus are tiny fruit flies that are mushroom specialists. They can be seen in the wild crawling all over Dracula flowers looking for a fungal meal and a place to mate. Some of the flies inevitably come away from the Dracula flower with a wad of pollen stuck to their backs. With any luck they will fall for the ruse of another Dracula flower and thus pollination is achieved.