Vanilla planifolia Andrews, Bot. Repos. 8: t. 538 (1808).
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| Vanilla planifolia Andrews, Photos by Sandip orchid |
Vanilla planifolia is the source of vanilla, one of the most popular flavours in the world. Vanilla was used by the Aztec people in Mexico to flavour cocoa.
Synonyms:
Epidendrum rubrum Lam.
Myrobroma fragrans Salisb.
Notylia planifolia (Andrews) Conz.
Notylia sativa (Schiede) Conz.
Notylia sylvestris (Schiede) Conz.
Vanilla aromatica Willd.
Vanilla bampsiana Geerinck
Vanilla duckei Huber
Vanilla fragrans Ames
Vanilla rubra (Lam.) Urb.
Vanilla sativa Schiede
Vanilla sylvestris Schiede
Vanilla viridiflora Blume
English name:
Names:Commercial Vanilla, The Flat Plane Leafed Vanilla.
Description:
Vines can exceed 30 m in length with roots and one oblong leaf per node. The inflorescence develops laterally from the leaf axil with short-lived yellowish green flowers lasting less than a day. The tubular lip is striped yellow and deeply fringed at the apex. This orchid may have been introduced into southern Florida through Indian bartering in pre-Columbian times and can be found growing on trees in cypress swamps and hammocks.
Flower Size:
6 cm.
Distribution:
Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest, Nicaragua.
Ecological:
In tropical wet forests at lower elevations as a large sized, warm to hot growing, scandent epiphyte.
Flowering time:
Blooms in the spring, summer.
Culture:
Minimum temperature tolerance: 5°C
Climate: Prefers tropical or subtropical climates, or warm indoor positions
Light conditions: Part shade
Growth habit: Climbing, epiphytic
Growing conditions: Very well drained soil.
Keep plant in intermediate to warm temperatures in shade. Plant is grown in shade and require a lots of space for climbing. Plant can be mounted or grown in bark. Plant prefers dryouts between waterings.
Chemistry:
The major chemical components from the pods are vanillin, vanillic acid, 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde and 4-hydroxybenzoic acid.
Contact dermatitis:
When propagating vanilla orchids from cuttings or harvesting ripe vanilla pods, care must be taken to avoid contact with the sap from the plant's stems. The sap of most species of Vanilla orchid which exudes from cut stems or where pods are harvested can cause moderate to severe dermatitis if it comes in contact with bare skin. Washing the affected area with warm soapy water will effectively remove the sap in cases of accidental contact with the skin. The sap of vanilla orchids contains calcium oxalate crystals, which appear to be the main causative agent of contact dermatitis in vanilla plantation workers.
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