The orchid Dracula chestertonii. Photo: Flickr/Quimbaya

On this day in 1897, Bram Stoker’s vampire novel Dracula first appeared on bookshelves in London. In case you have not had the chance to read it, you can download it for free to the reading device of your choice as the work has been in the public domain in the United States since it’s publication. If you still prefer to read an actual, printed book, you will have no trouble finding a copy, as the book has never been out of print.

If blood-sucking vampires are old news to you, thanks to the many movies, books and television shows that have flooded the landscape in recent years, then enjoy this lovely orchid instead. It is one of 118 species of orchid in the genus Dracula, which means “little dragon” in Latin. They mimic the smell of mushrooms, which tricks pollinating insects into paying them a visit. Like vampires, they prefer to spend their days in the shade.