MONKEY ORCHIDS
Monkey Orchid gets its common name from its lobed lip which mimics the general shape of a monkey’s body So you think only humans and animals have facial features? Think again because we are about to introduce you to “Monkey orchids”. Coming from the forest areas of south-east Ecuador and Peru with high elevations, these orchids were never seen or known to humans a few years back. Though it took a lot of time to discover them but one thing is for sure, it wouldn’t have taken much time to suggest its name. A botanist named Luer gave scientific name to it Dracula simia in the year 1978. Why was it named so? If you will look closely you can notice how much it resembles the face of a monkey. The term Dracula refers to the long spurs of its sepals that look like Dracula fangs. The colors of this plant ranges from grayish pink to red. Some claim that it has a pungent smell similar to feces while for others the fragrance is like that of a ripe orange. There are over 120 species of this plant mostly found in Ecuador. Other region where it is found includes Europe, Russia, Iran, Asia Minor and the Mediterranean. It gives flowers all year round that are 5cm in size. These orchids can only grow in captivity if suitably cold temperature is maintained and partial shade is provided, but still it requires a lot of care and tremendous amount of patience.
NOTE:CLICK THE IMAGE FOR FULL SIZE
Monkey Orchid gets its common name from its lobed lip which mimics the general shape of a monkey’s body So you think only humans and animals have facial features? Think again because we are about to introduce you to “Monkey orchids”. Coming from the forest areas of south-east Ecuador and Peru with high elevations, these orchids were never seen or known to humans a few years back. Though it took a lot of time to discover them but one thing is for sure, it wouldn’t have taken much time to suggest its name. A botanist named Luer gave scientific name to it Dracula simia in the year 1978. Why was it named so? If you will look closely you can notice how much it resembles the face of a monkey. The term Dracula refers to the long spurs of its sepals that look like Dracula fangs. The colors of this plant ranges from grayish pink to red. Some claim that it has a pungent smell similar to feces while for others the fragrance is like that of a ripe orange. There are over 120 species of this plant mostly found in Ecuador. Other region where it is found includes Europe, Russia, Iran, Asia Minor and the Mediterranean. It gives flowers all year round that are 5cm in size. These orchids can only grow in captivity if suitably cold temperature is maintained and partial shade is provided, but still it requires a lot of care and tremendous amount of patience.
NOTE:CLICK THE IMAGE FOR FULL SIZE
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