"^^^ ^ MONTHLY. f 
Vol. XVIII. COLOMBO, MAECH 1st, 1899. iNo. 9. 
THE SPECIES, DISTRIBUTION AND 
HABITS OF VANILLA PLANTS, 
AND THE CULTIVATION AND 
CURING OF VANILLA. 
By H. H. Rushy, m.d. 
(From the Journal of Pliarviacology, 
New Ycn-k, February, 1898.) 
HE genus Vanilla was estab- 
lished by Plumier in Miller'a 
Gardener's Dictionary, Edi- 
tion 6, in the year 1752, The 
genus has been enlarged from 
time to time, until we find 
the Index Kewensis, in 1896i 
recognizing 33 species. Besides these recog- 
nized species, the Index cites 23 additional names 
which it regards as synonyms. As in the case 
of most large genera, there is a wide diSerence 
of opinion as to the limitations of the species, 
their number being thus greater or less according 
to difierent authorities. Engler and Prantl, in 
the "Pllanzenfamilien," allow but 20, which is also 
the number allowed by Benthani and Hooker in 
the " Genera Plantarum." This doubt as to specific 
boundaries extends even to those of the improved 
and cultivated species V. planifolia, there being 
a wide ditt'erence of opinion regarding half a dozen 
forms, as to whether they are distinct species or 
mere varieties of this one. 
The genus is peculiar among flowering plants for 
its exceedingly wide distribution, nearly all parts 
of ihe tropical world possessingtheir representatives, 
In the New World we have 18 species; 3 from 
Mexico, 5 from the West Indies, 2 fioin Guiana, 
3 from Brazil, 1 each from New Granada and 
Equador and 3 from Peru. This list may have 
to be extended by the addition of one which I 
have collected in Bolivia, or this may turn out 
to be one of those already known in Peru. In 
the Old World tiiere are 15 si)ecie3, 4 trom 
Tropical Africa, 3 from the East Indies, 2 from 
Java, and 1 each from Ceylon, Sumatra, Bourbon, 
the Seychelles, tlio Philiiuues and the Malay 
feninsula. 
There seems to be no precise record as to 
whether or not all of these sptcies yield f) agrant - 
fruits, capable of use as Vanillas, but it is certain 
that the larger part of them do so. Neither is 
it certain that there is not among them souie 
other one or more species, which, by cultivation 
and improvement, might be made to yield a 
vanilla equal or superior to that now yielded by 
tiie Y. planifolia and its varieties. The fact that 
the use of vanilla dates back to prehistoric timi s 
leaves us in doubt as to whether tlie quality of 
this fruit, as known at present, may not have 
been the result of improvement by methods of 
cultivation of a product which in a wild state 
was more or less inferior. Certainly, the field 
for experiment in the way of cultivation and 
hybridization of species at present uncultivated is 
most attractive. 
Although vanilla is not obtained for economic 
purposes, so far as known, trom any other orchids 
than those of the genus Vanilla, ^^■e are by no 
means certain that this may not result in the 
future. I have collected in the Andes repre- 
sentative of a distinct genus, Sobralia, very closely 
related to Vanilla, the pod of which develojis a 
strong vanilla-like odor upon maturity. 
The flowers of an orchid growing in Switzerland 
have a strong odor of vanilla, and have been 
found to yield considerable vanillin. 
As regards the production of fruits for com- " 
mercial p\irposes from the wild plants, it may 
be said that it reaches very considerable pro- 
portions. Even among the Indians of Bolivia, it 
have seen the fruit, of a species unknown to me, 
collected and traded in, each fruit bringing about 
6 reals, equal to some 'So of our money. I have 
also collected vanilla in a wild state in Venezuela, 
but there was no one of whom I could inquire 
as to whether it yielded a useful fruit. Passing 
out of the reach of such uncivilized districts, we 
lind that considerable quantities are nroduced 
without cultivation, an'l presumably from native 
species, in various tropical countries. 
It is, however, the V. planifolia which is chiefly 
concerned in collection. This species is very 
widely cultivated, the principal regions being in 
Mexico and Bourbon, or Reunion Island. The 
West Indies, Java, Mauritius, Ceylon, the Fiji* 
and the Straits Settlements also yield important; 
?up]ilies. Good scented fruits have been produced 
in European hotiiouses, but, of course, not upoa 
a eommeicial scale. 
The methods of cultivation differ widely in tha 
difierent regions, but are all based upon certain 
principles deduced from the study of the habits 
