110 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN 
The specimen growing at the Garden was planted about 
twelve years ago and within five years the plant had begun 
to assume its native epiphytic habit. At the present time - 
visitors are somewhat puzzled to find the parent stem, the base 
of the original having died, but a close examination will 
reveal numerous roots destantting from the overhead growths 
into the soil below. 
Pollination of Flowers.—For the production of the vanilla 
beans under glass it is necessary to pollinate the flowers 
by hand. This should be done early in the morning or 
never later than noon because of the closing of the flowers 
in the afternoon. The pollinating stick is quite primitive, 
being made from any hard wood cut to about the size of a 
lead pencil and sharpened to a very thin point. The operation 
of uniting the sexual organs is very simple. They are situated 
at the end of the column which is enclosed by the labellum or 
funnel-shaped lip. The clinandrium (the chamber at the 
top of the column in which the pollinia lie) is gently raised 
securing the mealy pollinia at the same time to the stick. 
Immediately below is the stigmatic surface; this is entirely 
covered by the rostellum commonly called the “cap” which 
is Gana at the top by a hinge-like appendage. This cap 
should be raised by the pollinating stick and then by giving 
a little turn the pollen masses will adhere to the stigma below. 
When the cap is released it will spring back to its original 
position, thus preventing the loss of the pollen and securing 
it to the stigma. — 
If the fertilization is accomplished the flower persists until 
a few weeks before the ripening of the ovary. If not the 
flower will drop the second or third day. The pods or beans 
attain their full size within four months but do not ripen 
for about ten months. The indication of ripening is a slight 
yellowing of the whole pod which is more pronounced at the 
free end. 
In its native country the pollination is accomplished by 
insects. The labellum is so arranged as to bring the insects 
in contact with the column. Attached to the interior of the 
labellum directly under the stigmatic surface is a stiff hinged 
brush with six divisions one above the other which lie 
flat facing the interior and raise individually. This peculiar 
structure would allow the insect to crawl with ease into the 
lip to secure its fill of nectar from the interior. But when 
it started to back out the divisions of the hinged brush 
would be raised a the insect against the pollen masses 
and attaching the pollen to its back. The same routine 
would be performed with the next flower visited except that 
on the outward journey the pollen masses would be scraped 
