CHAPTER II 



VANILLA 



VANILLA is the product of a climbing orchid, a native 

 of Central America. There are two species in cultiva- 

 tion or use producing this spice Vanilla planifolia, 

 Andr., the true Mexican vanilla, with long, slender 

 pods, and V. pompona, Schiede, West Indian vanilla, 

 with short, thick pods. There are a few other species 

 which have more or less fragrant pods, but none of 

 which ever seem to have been valued as spices. 



The most extensively cultivated species is V. 

 planifolia, a native of South-eastern Mexico, British 

 Honduras, Guatemala, and Costa Rica. This plant has 

 been introduced into all parts of the tropics, and has 

 been cultivated extensively in the Seychelles, Reunion, 

 Mauritius, Java, Tahiti, the Fiji Islands, and the West 

 Indies.; 



The plant is a tall climber, with very long, flexuous, 

 succulent green stems, which put out twining white 

 aerial roots opposite the leaves, by which it clings to 

 trees, etc. The leaves are nearly sessile, oblong, acute, 

 succulent, bright green, 4 to 9 in. long, and Ij to 2|- 

 in. wide. The flower racemes are axillary, 2 or 3 in. 

 long, with numerous oblong, concave bracts. The 

 flowers are about 4 in. across, and borne on pedicels 

 Ij to 2 in. long. The sepals and petals are linear 

 oblong, 2 in. in length, and pale green. The trumpet- 

 shaped lip is shorter and also pale green, rolled up 

 round the column and united with it, the tip three- 



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