VANILLA 



131 



base curved or bent, with a slightly enlarged circular scar; externally 

 blackish-brown, longitudinally wrinkled, moist, glossy, sometimes 

 with acicular crystals or monoclinic prisms; pericarp about 1 mm. 

 thick; internally dark brown, 1-locular, with numerous seeds em- 

 bedded in a dark-colored pulp; seeds anatropous, ovoid, flattened, 

 0.2 to 0.3 mm. in diameter, black, finely reticulate, reserve layers 

 wanting, embryo shrunken; odor and taste distinct. 



2 4 



FIG. 55. Vanilla; 3, . transverse section of an unripe fruit showing lines of union 

 of the three carpels (a, b, c), line of dehiscence (D), placenta (<), seeds (S), 

 fibrovascular bundle (g), papillae (P). 1, radial-longitudinal section of the 

 outer part of the pericarp showing epidermis (E),and parenchyma cells with 

 oblique pores (v). 2, tangential-longitudinal section of the outer part of 

 the pericarp showing cells with oblique pores (v) and spirally thickened bands 

 (Sp). 4, inner layer of the pericarp showing the very long simple hairs or 

 papillae. After Meyer. 



Bourbon Vanilla resembles the Mexican Vanilla, but is about two- 

 thirds as long and the outer surface is usually covered with crystals. 

 Inner Structure. See Fig. 55. 



