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Vanilla planifolia

Botanic Family

Orchidaceae

Author

Jackson ex Andrews

Common Names

• Vanilla Vine
• Hpyaw-ye-thitkwa (Myanmar)
• Vainilla Mansa (Mexico)
• Xanat or Shanat (Mexico)
• Caxixánath (Mexico)
• Vainilla Colibri (Mexico)
• Kuoley Gm (Mexico)
• Zizbic (Mayan)
• Juju (Mexico)

Geographical Habitats

• Belize
• Brazil
• Colombia
• Costa Rica
• El Salvador
• Guatemala
• Honduras
• Chiapas
• Oaxaca
• Qintana Roo
• Tobasco
• Veracruz - Mexico
• Nicaragua
• Florida - USA

Natural Habitats

• Rain forest
• secondary forest
• thorn scrub

Flowering Times

• Jan
• Feb
• Mar
• Apr
• May
• Jun
• Sep
• Oct
• Nov
• Sep-Oct (Brazil)
• Feb-May (Mexico)

Fruiting Times

• Jul
• Nov
• Dec

Non-woody glabrous succulent high-climbing to 20m, hemi-epiphytic vine with aerial roots. Leathery leaves to 250mm x 80mm. 7-70 flowered axillary inflorescences to 265mm long with bracts to 15mm long of 100mm x 70mm yellow-green weakly fragrant flowers with cream-yellow lip. Yellowish-green sepals, dorsal sepal to 60mm x 12mm, lateral sepals to 60mm x 13.5mm, petals to 58.5mm x 11mm with greenish-yellow trilobed lip to 55mm x 24mm, column to 42mm x 2.5mm. 300mm x 100mm yellow-green fragrant fleshy pod ripening black.

Further References

• Menninger 1970
• Bailey 1976
• Beckett 1990
• Huxley 1992
• Mobot
• NYBG
• FB
• The Plant List 2
• CPC
• VOPR
• USNH
• Kew
• FOSEUS
• Lankesteriana
• Gleason & Moldenke