Dlium

Vanilla ( Vanilla planifolia ) is a plant species belonging to the Orchidaceae family. It is an evergreen, herbaceous vine that either creeps along the ground or climbs trees; it can sometimes grow as an epiphyte without roots in the soil. Its terrestrial roots branch out and form fine root hairs that associate with mycorrhizal fungi. V. planifolia can grow up to 30 meters in length. The younger parts of the plant, which cling tightly to a support, exhibit a zig-zag structure at each stem node. Thick, fleshy aerial roots emerge from these nodes, allowing the plant to attach itself to trees or other surfaces. These aerial roots are mostly unbranched and are found primarily on the younger sections of the plant, while older roots may hang downward through the tree canopy, eventually reaching the forest floor. Opposite the point where the roots emerge, each stem node bears a flat, succulent leaf. Mature leaves are bright green and glossy, measuring 8–25 cm in length and 2–8 cm in width; ...

Jicama ( Pachyrhizus erosus ) is a plant species in the Fabaceae family. It is an annual herb that grows 4–5 meters in length, with roots reaching up to 2 meters; its stems are trailing and twining, covered in fine, downward-pointing hairs. P. erosus features compound leaves with petioles 8.5–16 cm long. The leaves are pinnate and consist of three leaflets; the leaflets are broadly ovate with pointed tips and large teeth, and they are hairy on both sides. The terminal leaflet is the largest, rhombic in shape, measuring 7–21 cm in length and 6–20 cm in width. The flowers are arranged in racemes at the ends of stems or in the leaf axils—appearing singly or in clusters of 2–4 racemes—and can reach up to 60 cm in length, covered in brownish hairs. The calyx tube is bell-shaped and brownish, measuring 0.5 cm in length, with lobes also up to 0.5 cm long. The corolla is white to bluish-purple, hairless, and 2 cm long. The filaments are flattened, with slightly curled tips. The stigma is sph...

Horse mango ( Mangifera foetida ) is a plant species in the Anacardiaceae family. It is a large tree with a straight trunk, reaching a height of 30–35 meters. Its bark is brown to dark grayish-brown, featuring shallow fissures or grooves, and it exudes a clear, whitish-gray sap that eventually turns reddish and then black. This sap is caustic; it causes itching and can damage the skin. M. foetida has somewhat stiff, leathery leaves that are oblong-elliptical in shape—measuring 9–15 cm in width and 15–40 cm in length—with a smooth (glabrous) surface and a dark green color. The petioles (leaf stalks) are rigid and 1.5–8 cm long. This species grows wild in forests. The inflorescence consists of terminal, upright, branched, pyramid-shaped panicles, 10–40 cm in length, which are dark red to copper-red and fragrant. The flowers are numerous, small, and pentamerous (having parts in multiples of five). The sepals are 4–5 mm long and obovate (inversely egg-shaped), while the petals are 6–9 mm...