Tropicos | Name - !Vanilla Mill.

!Vanilla Mill.

Flora Data (Last Modified On 11/8/2012)

Genus	VANILLA SW.
PlaceOfPublication	Nova Acta Soc. Sci. Upsal. 6:66. 1799
Reference	Rolfe in Jour. Linn. Soc. Bot. 32:439-478. 1896.
Description	Usually epiphytic, scandent, leafy (in Panama) or leafless herbs, often with branched stems. Leaves coriaceous or fleshy, sessile or short-petiolate. Inflorescence a (short) raceme from the axils of the leaves. Sepals subequal, spreading, free. Petals similar to the sepals. Lip with its claw adnate to the column, often en- folding the column. Column elongated, footless, wingless; anther incumbent (rarely appearing erect)'; pollinia granular. Capsule ("bean") elongated, fleshy, often fragrant.
Note	The only truly commercial members of the Orchidaceae belong to the genus Vanilla. The extract of the Vanilla ""bean" was perhaps the first flavoring used by the American Indians. Natural Vanilla flavoring is now largely displaced by the synthetic. The taxonomy of Vanilla is most difficult because of the fugaceous flowers.
Key	a. Lip with verrucose lines or papillae............................................................ 1. V. PLANIFOLIA aa. Lip without verrucose lines or papillae..................................................... 2. V. POMPONA