Vanilla griffithii Rchb.f.

Vanilla griffithii Rchb.f., Bonplandia 2: 88 (1854).

Vanilla griffithii Rchb.f., Photos by Ong PT 

its native range is Peninsula Thailand to W. Malesia.

Latinh Name: 

Vanilla griffithii Rchb.f.

Synonym:

Vanilla tolypephora Ridl.

English Name:

Griffith's Vanilla (English Physicisn and Orchid Collector 1800's).

Chinese name:

台灣凡尼蘭

Description: 

Vanilla griffithii is a succulent-stemmed, perennial climbing plant, producing a stem that can be 7 metres long. The plant grows into trees, supporting itself by means of aerial roots that are produced from the stem nodes. It is often epiphytic, or becomes epiphytic as the lower portion of the stem withers and dies.

The plant is sometimes gathered from the wild for local use as a food and medicine

Distribution:

Borneo, Malaya, Sumatera, Thailand.

Ecological:

In tropical evergreen lowlands as an elongate, hot to warm growing terrestro-epiphytic vine.

Flowering times:

Blooms in the spring and early summer.

Flower size:

6.0 cm.

Cultivation:

It grows in intermediate to warm areas with partial shade to full sun. Plant prefers dryouts between watering. Plant can be grown through cuttings with nodes. Pot in medium bark, sphagnum moss, or mount the plant. Vines should be tip pruned to induce flowering, once the plant is around 3 years of age.

Edible Uses:

The fruit is sweet and edible. The fruit is a fleshy, banana-like capsule about 6cm long by 1cm wide.

Medicinal:

The pounded flowers are rubbed on the body as a treatment against fever.

Other Uses:

A latex obtained from the plant is used to make the hair healthy.

Type: