VANILLA. 143 
CHAPTER, VIL 
VANILLA. 
THERE are several species and varieties of the Orchids producing 
this valuable bean. Delteuil* gives a list of the plants cultivated 
in various countries, from which it appears that in Mexico are 
found the V. planifolia (yielding the finest fruit), V. sativa, 
V. sylvestris, and V. pompona (with short thick fruit called 
“vanillon”), Guiana and Surinam produce the V. Guyanensis ; 
Bahia, V. palmarum; Brazil and Peru, V. aromatica (which is the 
least aromatic of all); Réunion, two sorts, which appear to be 
varieties of V. planifolia, the one usually called the small, the 
other the large vanilla, characterized by the stalk being thicker, 
the leaves much larger, the flowers larger and of a deeper yellow 
tint, the fruit thicker, shorter, and triangular; but this being of 
inferior aroma its cultivation has been almost generally aban- 
doned. 
In a paper communicated to the ‘ Société d’Emulation” by 
Jaillet t on the culture and preparation of Vanilla, the author infers, 
from the writings of various botanists on this subject, also from per- 
sonal observation, that the V. planifolia, V. sativa, and V. sylvestris 
are identical, the distinctive specific characters not being clear and 
decided, but depending upon the effects of age, climate, and 
vigorous growth. He concludes that although there really exist 
several species of Vanilla, and that there may be many varieties of 
the same species, all, or nearly all, the commercial vanilla is 
furnished by the V. planifolia. This would appear to be the 
opinion of the authors of the ‘ Pharmacographia,’ as V. planifolia 
alone is mentioned as the commercial source, but perhaps referring 
only to the products of Mexico and Réunion. According to 
* ‘Ktude sur la Vanille,’ Paris, 1874. 
t+ Répertoire de Pharmacie, viii. 357. 
