The Monkey-face Orchids That Wowed the Japanese Crowds at a Recent Exhibition

Frankly, they wowed me too as I've never seen anything like them before.

Dracula simia or Monkey Orchids as they are more famously known, were the latest rage at an exhibition held at the Aquamarine Fukushima in Japan on Sunday and rightfully so as they pay special tribute to the upcoming Year of the Monkey.

Photos of the Monkey Orchid started popping up on the internet about a year ago and first appeared to be photoshopped, but they actually exists, and yes, it really does match the grinning face of a very small monkey. The scientific name of this very rare flower is Dracula simia, with the first part hinting at the resemblance between its two long spurs to the fangs of Bram Stoker’s famous vampire count, and the second meaning “monkey” in Latin.

As if its striking resemblance to a monkey’s face wasn’t astounding enough, this flower actually smells a lot like a ripe orange, as well. Which is kind of ironic, because with a face like that you’d expect it to smell like bananas, right?