6 



CASE They are also made into cigars in Mauritius, and covered with 

 ]. tobacco leaf. (See Kew Bulletin^ 1892, p. 181.) 



No. 4. Vanilla. The fragrant fruit of Vanilla plani- 

 folia^ And. A succulent, dark green perennial climber, found 

 wild in hot, moist woods in South-east Mexico, where it is 

 also extensively cultivated, especially in the province of Vera 

 Cruz. Vanilla is also grown largely in Bahia, Mauritius, 

 Bourbon, Madagascar, Seychelles, Java, Fiji, &c. Samples of 

 these qualities are exhibited, also Vanillons, the produce of wild 

 or uncultivated forms. (See Kew Bulletin^ 1892, pp. 212, 

 215.) 



Vanilla is prepared by gathering the fruits or pods before 

 they are quite ripe, after which they are gradually dried in the 

 shade, or spread on woollen cloths and exposed to the sun, 

 and finally rubbed over with oil. The aim is to develop and 

 preserve the fragrance as much as possible. This fragrance 

 is due to the presence of vanillin or vanillic acldy which is 

 often seen deposited in minute crystals over the surface of the 

 pods. Vanilla is used in confectionery to flavour chocolates, 

 creams, liqueurs, &c. 



The aromatic character of vanilla is also found in other 

 species of Orchids. Seemann says {Botany of the Herald, 

 p. 215) that the fruit of Selenipedium Chica "is highly 

 " esteemed as an aromatic by the inhabitants of the Isthmus 

 " of Panama, and used for all purposes for which real vanilla is 

 *' commonly used." 

 CASE Note leaves of Goodyera pubescens, R. Br., a North 



2. American plant, where it is said to have been used in scrofula. 



Note also specimens of Salep from tubers of Orchis mascula, L., 

 from Cawnpore, and from 0. anatolica, Boiss., from the forests 

 of Lycia. 



No. 5. JSumerous specimens of Salab-Misri from Madras, 

 Bombay, Afghanistan, &c., furnished by species of Orchis. 

 Dr. Aitchison states that the Salep imported in some quantity 

 from Persia, by way of Herat to India, is furnished by 0. 

 lati folia, L., and 0. laxiflora, Lam., while the Badsha or Royal 

 Salep of Afghanistan is furnished by species of Allium, one of 

 which is said to be A. Macleanii, Baker (see p. 23). Dr. 

 Aitchison further says, in his " Notes on the products of 

 " Western Afghanistan and of North Eastern Persia," "at 

 ** Meshad I was informed that sdlap-misri was an import from 

 " Egypt, and that it differed from the sdlab of the country. 



