VAN 
There are two other fpecies of this which grow ha-' 
rurally in England, but as they are feldom admit- 
ted into gardens, I have not enumerated them •, thefe 
are by forne fuppofed to be only accidental varieties, 
but I have fown them all feveral years, and have ne- 
ver found either of them alter. 
The tenth fort grows naturally in Candia ; this is an 
annual plant, whole ftalks rife fix or eight inches high, 
and divide by pairs like the former. The leaves are 
much narrower than thofe of the former, end in acute 
points, and are fawed on their edges ; the flowers are 
like thofe of the former fort, but have a fwollen blad- 
der empalement which inclofes the feeds. 
The eleventh fort grows naturally in Italy. The 
leaves at bottom are three or four inches long, round- 
pointed, and deeply notched on their edges ; thefbalk 
rifes near a foot high, fending out branches by pairs 
from the joints below ; the upper part divides by 
pairs in the fame manner as the two former. The 
flowers are colie&ed in globular heads ; they are of 
an herbaceous white colour, and are fucceeded by 
Harry fruit having fix indentures. It flowers in June, 
and the feeds ripen in Auguft ; this and the former 
fort are fuppofed to be only varieties arifing from the 
fame feeds, but I have fown them more than forty 
years, and have not obferved either of them vary. 
The twelfth fort grows naturally in the arable fields 
in Sicily and Spain ; this is an annual plant. The 
ftalks are pretty thick, channelled, and of a purplifh 
colour they rife eight or nine inches high, and are 
garnilhed by oval fmooth leaves placed by pairs at 
each joint, fitting clofe to the ftalks ; they are an 
inch and a half long, and an inch broad, of a lucid 
green. From each fide of the ftalk fp rings out {len- 
der branches, but the upper part divides into two 
fpreading branches like the other. The joints are 
fwelling, and thefe branches divide again by pairs ; 
thefe are terminated by clufters of red flowers, lhaped 
like thofe of the red Valerian, but larger ; they have 
two leaves clofe under the bunches, embracing the 
ftalks with their bafe. When the flowers are paid, the 
fruit ftretches out in fhape of a cornucopia or horn? of 
plenty. The flowers appear in June, and the feeds 
ripen in autumn. 
Thefe three forts are propagated by feeds, which 
ftiould be fown in autumn where the plants are to re- 
main. When thefe come up, they will require no 
other culture but to thin them where they are too 
clofe, and keep them clean from weeds. The plants 
which rife in autumn, will live through the winter, 
and come early to flower the following fummer, fo 
will produce good feeds ; whereas thofe which rife in 
the fpring, do not ripen their feeds unlefs the feafon 
proves warm. 
VALERIANA GRiECA. See Polemonium. 
V ALERINELL A. See Valeriana. 
VANILLA. Plum. Gen. Nov. 25. tab. 28. Epiden- 
drum. Lin. Gen. Plant. 907. 
The Characters are. 
It has a Jingle ftalk. The flowers are included in Jheaths , 
which are diflant from each other ; they fit upon the ger- 
men , and have no empalement ; they have five oblong pe- 
tals which fipread open very wide , and turbinated nebla- 
riums , whofie bafies are tubulous , Jituated on the back fide 
of the petals in the middle their brims are oblique and bi- 
fid ; the -Upper lip is fhort and trifid ; the under one runs 
out in a long point •, they have two very fhort ftamina flit- 
ting upon the point al, and the fummits are f aft ened to the 
upper lip of the nebtarium ; they have a long , fender, 
contorted germen Jituated under the flower , fupporting a 
fhort ftyle f aft ened to the upper lip of the nebtarium , crown- 
ed by an obfolete ftigma. The germen afterward becomes a 
long , taper , flefhy pod , including many fmall feeds. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the fecond feflion 
' of Linnaeus’s twentieth clafs, which includes thofe 
plants whofe flowers have two ftamina which are con- 
nedted w r ith the ftyle. 
The Species are, 
1. Vanilla ( Mexicana ) foliis oblongo-ovatis mucrona- 
tis, nervofis, floribus alternis. Vanilla with oblong , 
bvdl, acute-pointed , veiHed leaves , and flowers groffi 
ing alternately. Volubilis filiquofa Mexicana, plan- 
taginis folio. Cat. Car. 3. p. 7. Mexican Climber having 
pods , and a Plantain leaf. 
2. Vanilla (. Axillarihus ) foliis oblongis obtufis, com- 
preflis articulatis, floribus alaribus. Vanilla with ob- 
long , , blunt, comprejfed , jointed leaves , and flowers pro- 
ceeding from the fides of the ftalks. 
The firft fort is that which the Spaniards cultivate m 
the Weft-Indies, which we fhall defcribe hereafter. 
The fecond fort was fent me from Carthagena in 
New Spain, where it grows naturally, this has a 
climbing ftalk, which fends out roots from the joints, 
which fallen to the ftems of trees or any neighbour-* 
ing fupport, and climb to a great height. The 
leaves, which come out fingly at each joint, are ob- 
long, fmooth, and jointed. The flowers come out 
from the fide of the branches ; they are ftiaped like 
thofe of the great Bee Orchis, but are longer. The 
galea or helmet of the flower is of a pale Pink co- 
lour, and the labia is purple. This plant flowered in 
the Chelfea Garden, but wanting its proper fupport, 
it lived but one year. 
There are two or three varieties of the firft fort, which 
differ in the colour of their flowers and the length 
of their pods ; and there are many other fpecies which 
grow naturally in both the Indies, which have been 
brought to this genus, but thofe above-mentioned are 
all I have feen growing. 
The plant which produces the fruit called Vanilla or 
Banilla, by the Spaniards, hath a trailing Item, fome- 
what like common Ivy, but not fo woody, which 
fallens itfelf to whatever tree grows near it, by fmall 
fibres or roots which are produced at every joint* 
which fallen to the bark of the tree, and by which the 
plants are often nourifhed, when they are cut or brok- 
en off from the root a confiderable height from the 
ground, in like manner as the Ivy is often feen in 
England. The leaves are as large as thofe of the 
common Laurel, but are not quite fo thick ; thefe are 
produced alternately at every joint (which are fix or 
feven inches afunder,) and are of a lively green colour 
on the upper fide, but of a paler green underneath. 
The ftems of thefe plants Ihoot into many branches 
which fallen themfelves alfo to the branches of the 
trees, by which means they rife to the height of eigh- 
teen or twenty feet, and fpread quite over fome of 
the ffnaller trees to which they are joined. The flow- 
ers. are of a greenilh yellow colour, mixed with white, 
which, when fallen, are fucceeded by the fruit, which 
are fix or feven inches long. 
This fort, which is manufactured, grows not only in 
the Bay of Campeachy, but alfo at Carthagena, at 
the Caraccas, Honduras, Darien, and Cayan, at all 
which places the fruit is gathered and preferved, but 
is rarely found in any of the Englifh fettlements in. 
America at prefent, though it might be eafily carried 
thither and. propagated j for the Ihoots of thefe plants 
are full of juice, fo maybe eafily tranfported, becaufe 
they will continue frefti out of the ground for feveral 
months. I had fome branches of this plant which, 
were gathered by Mr. Robert Millar at Campeachy, 
and fent over between papers by way of fample * 
thefe had been at leaft fix months gathered when I 
received them, and upon opening the papers, I found 
the leaves rotten with the moifture contained in them 
and the paper was alfo perilhed with it, but the ftems 
appeared frelh ; upon which I planted fome of them 
in fmall pots, and plunged them into a hot-bed of 
tanners bark, where they foon put out leaves, and 
fend forth roots from their joints ; but, as thefe plants 
naturally fatten themfelves to the ftems of the trees 
in the woods where they grow naturally, it is with 
great difficulty that they are kept alive when they 
have not the fame fuppoit % therefore, whoever would 
preferve any of thefe plants in Europe, ftiould plant 
them in tubs of earth, near the ftem of fome vigo- 
rous American tree, which requires a ftove, and can 
bear a great deal of water, becaufe the Vanillas muft 
be plentifully watered in the fummer feafon, other- 
1 3 Q*. wif^ 
£ 3 ? 
