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Vanilla (From the Spanish vainilla)

(from the Spanish vainilla, a little sheath; in allusion to the shape of the fruit). SYN. Myrobroma. ORD. Orchideae. A genus embracing about a score species of stove, tall-climbing, branched Orchids, scattered over tropical regions. Flowers large, but usually dull-coloured and uninteresting, in axillary, often short racemes or spikes; sepals and petals sub-equal, free, spreading; claw of the lip adnate with the elongated, wingless column, the limb broad, concave, its base rolled around the column; bracts ovate. Capsule often elongated, fleshy, not (or at length scarcely) dehiscent. Leaves coriaceous or fleshy, nerved, sessile or shortly petiolate. Vanilla is remarkable in being the only genus of the order which possesses any economic value. The fruit of several species is largely employed, under its botanical name, for flavouring chocolate, liqueurs, ices, &c. V. planifolia produces the best Vanilla. Only four species call for description in this work. They should be potted or planted out in a narrow bed, in peat and sphagnum, and trained up a wall or on a thick piece of wood. A strong heat is favourable to their well-being. Propagation may be effected by cuttings; the climbing stems produce roots, and may be cut into lengths for the purpose. V. bicolor (two-coloured). fl. very fragrant, 3in. long; sepals and petals dull red, acute, spreading; lip cream-coloured, half-free, convolute, apiculate, undulated; column bearded. l. ovate-oblong, sub-sessile, acute, striated, reddish on the margins. Demerara.

V. lutescens (yellowish). fl. 6in. across, showy, two or more together from the axils of the leaves, somewhat resembling in general appearance those of Cattleya citrina; sepals and petals greenish-yellow; lip very bright yellow. La Guayra, 1859. (F. d. S. 2218.) V. Phalaenopsis (Phalaenopsis-like). fl. 3in. across, six or seven in an umbel; sepals faint blush-white, keeled behind, acute, the two lateral ones divided to the base on the lower side; petals the same colour, but less acute, channelled; lip pale rosy-blush outside, tawny-orange within, over 1in. long, broadly funnel-shaped. Stems long, rooting, leafless. Madagascar, 1869. An interesting species. (F. d. S. 1769.) V. planifolia (flat-leaved). fl. wholly green, or white within, or with a white lip, 2in. across; sepals and petals lanceolate-oblong; lip callous below the serrulated, repand summit, and crested at the middle with minute, recurved scales. fr. 6in. long, sub-cylindrical. l. fleshy, 5in. to 7in. long, oblong or ovate-oblong, acute, contracted at base. Stem cylindrical. West Indies, 1800. (A. B. R. 538; B. M. Pl. 272; L. B. C. 733.)