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Scientists Warn the World’s Weirdest Orchid Could Be Loved to Death

Researchers say rare Dracula orchids are traded globally, raising concerns about whether wild plants are being protected.

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A new study published in Biological Conservation suggests something that makes a whole lot of sense when you see a picture of its subject: one of the world’s weirdest orchids, which kind of looks like it has the face of a monkey at its center, has become a worldwide collectible among wealthy orchid enthusiasts who hear “limited edition” when they a plant can’t be found anywhere else on Earth except for remote mountain rain forests in Ecuador and Colombia.

It’s called the Dracula orchid, and I get the appeal. It’s beautiful, almost alien. Just one look at a lo-res picture, and I instantly........

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