VANILLA 19 



4. V. phseantha Beichb.f. op. cit. 274 ; leaves about as long as 

 the internodes, oblong, tapering to an acute apex, with very short 

 stalk, clasping at the base, fleshy ; flowers 2| 3^ in. 1. ; capsule 

 linear-cylindrical, somewhat flattened, tapering to base. Bolfe 

 op. cit. 464. Oogn. op. cit. 323. Y. planifolia, var. macrantha 

 Griseb. loc. cit. (PI. 2, f. 20.) 



In fl. May ; Askenish, 800 ft., near Dolphin Head, Harris ! Fl. Jam. 

 10,489. Cuba, Bahamas, St. Vincent, Trinidad. 



Stem leafy, thick, 5-8 mm. br. when dry ; internodes 13 to 14 cm. 1. 

 Leaves several-nerved, (when dry), 2 - 5-3 cm. br. Raceme with several 

 flowers, 3-5 cm. 1. Bracts ovate, acute, 6-14 mm. 1., 4-8 mm. br. Flowers 

 fleshy, perianth 3 \ in. 1. Ovary cylindrical, slightly 2-angled, 5 cm. 1., 

 6-7 mm. br. Sepals oblanceolate, about 11-veined ; lateral somewhat 

 acute, slightly falcate, 8"2-8*8 cm. 1., 1*6-1'8 cm. br. ; median somewhat 

 blunt, 8 * 5-9 1 cm. 1. , 1 7 cm. br. Petals about 10-nerved, distinctly broadly 

 keeled, 8* 1-8- 7 cm. 1., 1"2-1'4 cm. br. Lip attached to column almost to 

 its apex, limb very broadly ovate, apex refuse, apiculate just below the 

 apex on the back, distinctly keeled aloDg the back, the keel ending in a 

 long mucro at 5 mm. below the apex, nerves prominent in the tube and on 

 disk, with a tuft of transverse, flat, toothed crests pointing downwards 

 opposite the column near the apex, margin somewhat curled and crenulate, 

 8' 1-8*3 cm. 1., about 4 - 5 cm. br. Column 6*3 cm. 1., bearded below the 

 stigma ; in the specimen examined 3 anthers are present, in the lateral 

 one cell incomplete. Capsule (unripe), 8 cm. 1., 1*2 cm. br. 



[Y. planifolia Andrews Bot. Bep. viii. 538 (1808); leaves 

 like those of V. phseantha ; flowers 2 in. 1. ; capsule slender. 

 Bauer III. Orch., Gen. it. 10, 11 ; Lindl. Gen. & Sp. Orcli. 435; 

 Griseb. Fl. Br. W. lad. 638 ; Bolfe op. cit. 463 ; Cogn. op. cit. 322 ; 

 Salisb. Ic. ined. vi. foL 582, 591. 



S.E. Mexico, Yucatan, B. Honduras, Guatemala, Costa Rica. 



Stem leafy, somewhat thick, shrivelling to 5 or 6 mm. in drying ; 

 internodes 8 or 9 cm. 1. Leaves longer than the internodes, with short 

 thick stalks, oblong to subovate-oblong, acute or shortly acuminate, thick 

 and fleshy, nerves obscure in fresh specimens; 10-18 cm. 1., 4-6 cm. br. ; 

 stalks half-clasping, about 1 cm. 1. Racemes axillary, many-flowered 

 (to 14), 5-7 cm. 1. Bracts oblong, subacute or obtuse, 5-10 mm. 1. 

 Flowers greenisb-yellow, perianth 2 in. 1. Sepals and petals oblong- 

 oblanceolate, somewhat obtuse, about 5 cm. 1. Lip convolute, attached 

 by its margins to the column almost to its apex, with longitudinal 

 crenulate keels, and a hairy tuft in the tube pointing downwards ; some- 

 what 3-lobed above, apex refuse; with revolute margin, somewhat longer 

 than the sepals. Column hairy anteriorly, about 3 cm. 1. Capsule long, 

 linear, 15-25 cm. 1. 



This species furnishes the best " vanilla beans " of commerce, 

 and is cultivated to some extent in Jamaica. It may conse- 

 quently occur here and there, in a naturalised state, producing 

 perfect fruit, as it has done in Hope Gardens without being 

 artificially pollinated, and on that account we have included it. 



Miller's V. mexicana (Gard. Diet. ed. 8, 1768), as well as 

 Swartz's V. aromatica (in Nov. Act. Upsal. vi. 66, 1799 & in 

 Schrad. Journ. ii. 208, t. 1, fig. lb, 1799) was founded on Linnseus's 



c 2 



