Vanilla (Vanilla planifolia)

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; they are lanceolate to oval in shape with pointed tips. The leaves typically persist for 3–4 years.

The flowers emerge in axillary clusters, each containing 12–20 buds. They are greenish-yellow, 5 cm in diameter, and possess only a faint fragrance. The flowers bloom in the morning and wilt as the temperature rises later that same day. The plant is self-fertile, and pollination simply requires the transfer of pollen from the anther to the stigma. In the wild, the success rate for the pollination of any given flower is only about 1%.

Fruit is produced by mature plants. For a 1-meter-long cutting, it takes 2–3 years to reach maturity, while a 30-centimeter cutting or a plant grown via tissue culture requires 3–4 years. The fruit takes the form of a pod, 15–23 cm in length. Resembling a small banana, the fruit reaches maturity after 8–9 months. The fruit is an elongated capsule that opens at the tip as it dries, releasing a distinctive aroma.

This species grows at elevations between 0 and 1,500 meters in tropical rainforests, requiring an annual rainfall of 1,500–3,000 mm, temperatures of 15–30°C, and high humidity. Rainfall and temperature are the primary determinants for its growth. Vanilla should be cultivated in areas that experience 7–8 wet months per year, alongside a dry season of approximately 2–3 months.

Vanilla extract is derived from the skin, flesh, and seeds of the fruit. It contains hundreds of compounds, including vanillic acid, anisaldehyde, hydroxybenzoic acid, anisic acid, anisyl alcohol, acetaldehyde, acetic acid, furfural, hexanoic acid, 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, eugenol, methyl cinnamate, isobutyric acid, caproic acid, vitispirane, phenols, phenolic ethers, carbonyls, esters, benzyl ethers, lactones, carbohydrates, fats, and mineral salts.

The characteristic, fragrant aroma of vanilla comes from the compound vanillin (4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde). Another minor compound that influences its flavor profile is piperonal. Vanillin (4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde) is the primary active compound in the pod, accounting for approximately 85% of its total volatile compounds. It is most commonly used as a flavoring agent in ice cream, soft drinks, cosmetics, and perfumes.

Vanillin has been reported to possess anticlastogenic, antimutagenic, and anticarcinogenic properties, and it helps reduce the risk of chromosomal damage. It effectively inhibits damage to red blood cells in patients with sickle cell anemia. Furthermore, vanillin exhibits aphrodisiac, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties.

TAXON

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Liliopsida
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Vanilloideae
Tribe: Vanilleae
Genus: Vanilla Mill. in Gard. Dict. Abr., ed. 4.: [s.p.] (1754)
Subgenus: Xanata
Section: Xanata
Complex: Vanilla planifolia
Species: Vanilla planifolia Andrews in Bot. Repos. 8: t. 538 (1808)

HOMOTYPIC SYNONYMS

Notylia planifolia (Andrews) Conz. in Fl. Taxon. Mex. 3: 151 (1947)
Vanilla aromatica var. planifolia (Andrews) F.Buyss. in L'orchidophile; Traité Théor. & Prat.: 513 (1878)

HETEROTYPIC SYNONYMS

Epidendrum rubrum Lam. in Encycl. 1: 178 (1783)
Myrobroma fragrans Salisb. in Parad. Lond. 2: t. 82 (1807)
Notylia sativa (Schiede) Conz. (1947)
Notylia sylvestris (Schiede) Conz. (1947)
Vanilla aromatica Willd. in Sp. Pl., ed. 4. 4: 121 (1805)
Vanilla aromatica var. bicolor F.Buyss. (1878)
Vanilla aromatica var. claviculata F.Buyss. (1878)
Vanilla aromatica var. discolor F.Buyss. (1878)
Vanilla aromatica var. lutescens F.Buyss. (1878)
Vanilla bampsiana Geerinck in Bull. Jard. Bot. Natl. Belg. 52: 345 (1982)
Vanilla duckei Huber in Bol. Mus. Goeldi Hist. Nat. Ethnogr. 5: 327 (1909)
Vanilla fragrans Ames in Schedul. Orchid. 7: 36 (1924)
Vanilla planifolia var. angusta Costantin & Poiss. ex C.Henry in Agric. Colon. 83: 135 (1924)
Vanilla rubra (Lam.) Urb. in Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 5: 157 (1920)
Vanilla sativa Schiede in Linnaea 4: 573 (1829)
Vanilla sotoarenasii M.Pignal, Azof.-Bolaños & Grisoni in Eur. J. Taxon. 284: 17 (2017)
Vanilla sylvestris Schiede (1829)
Vanilla viridiflora Blume in Bijdr. Fl. Ned. Ind.: 422 (1825)

PUBLICATIONS

(2020). http://dx.doi.org/10.15517/lank.v20i3.45203. epublication.

Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & Strong, M.T. (2012). Catalogue of seed plants of the West Indies. Smithsonian Contributions to Botany 98: 1-1192.

Bernet, P. (2010). Orchidées de la Réunion: 1-368. Naturae Amici éditions.

Cribb, P., Hermans, J. & Rakotoarinivo, M. (2009). Field Guide to the Orchids of Madagascar: 1-456. Kew Publishing, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Cribb, P.J. & Whistler, W.A. (2011). The Orchids of Tonga, Niue, and the Cook islands. Lankesteriana 11: 96-177.

Figueiredo, E., Paiva, J., Stévart, T., Oliveira, F. & Smith, G.F. (2011). Annotated catalogue of the flowering plants of São Tomé and Príncipe. Bothalia 41: 41-82.

Garcia-Mendoza, A.J. & Meave, J.A. (eds.) (2012). Diversidad florística de Oaxaca: de musgos a angiospermas (colecciones y listas de especies), ed. 2: 1-351. Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.

Girmansyah, D. & al. (eds.) (2013). Flora of Bali an annotated checklist: 1-158. Herbarium Bogorensis, Indonesia.

Govaerts, R. (2003). World Checklist of Monocotyledons Database in ACCESS: 1-71827. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Hammel, B.E. & al. (2003). Manual de Plantas de Costa Rica 3: 1-884. Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis.

Hermans, J. & Cribb, P.J. (2023). Flore des Mascareignes 170(1): 1-340. IRD Éditions, MSIRI, RBG-Kew, Paris.

Idárraga-Piedrahita, A., Ortiz, R.D.C., Callejas Posada, R. & Merello, M. (eds.) (2011). Flora de Antioquia: Catálogo de las Plantas Vasculares 2: 1-939. Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín.

MacKee, H.S. (1994). Catalogue des plantes introduites et cultivées en Nouvelle-Calédonie, ed. 2: 1-164. Museum national d'histoire naturelle, Paris.

Margonska, H.B. & Szlachetko, D.L. (2010). Orchidaceae of Tahiti, French Polynesia: 1-139. Gdansk University Press.

Nelson Sutherland, C.H. (2008). Catálogo de las plantes vasculares de Honduras. Espermatofitas: 1-1576. SERNA/Guaymuras, Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Noguera-Savelli, E. & Cetzal-Ix, W. (2014). Revisión e integración del conocimiento de las Orchidaceae de Tabasco, México. Botanical Sciences 92: 519-540.

Pasha, M.K. & Uddin, S.B. (2013). Dictionary of plant names of Bangladesh, Vasc. Pl.: 1-434. Janokalyan Prokashani, Chittagong, Bangladesh.

Schinini, A. (2010). Orquídeas nativas del Paraguay. Rojasiana 9: 1-316.

Sheppard, C.R.C. & Seaward, M.R.D. (eds.) (1999). Ecology of the Chagos archipelago: 1-350. Westbury Academic & Scientific Publishing, Otley.

Soto Arenas, M.A. & Cribb, P. (2010). A new infrageneric classification and synopsis of the genus Vanilla Plum. ex Mill. (Orchidaceae: Vanillinae). Lankesteriana 9: 355-398.

Soto Arenas, M.A. & Dressler, R.L. (2010). A revision of the Mexican and Central American species of Vanilla Plumier ex Miller with a characterization of their ITS region of the nuclear ribosomal DNA. Lankesteriana 9: 283-354.

Szlachetko, D.L. & Kolanowska, M. (2020). Materials to the Orchid Flora of Colombia 3: 1-580. Oberreifenberg : Koeltz Botanical Books.

Szlachetko, D.L. (ed.) (2016). Orchids of the Guianas (Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana) 1: 1-461. Koeltz Botanical Books.

Velayos, M. & al. (eds.) (2018). Flora de Guinea Ecuatorial 10: 1-491. Consejo superior de investigaciones científicas, Real jardín botánico, Madrid.

VERNACULAR NAME

Amharic: ቫኒላ Vanila
Chinese (simplified): 香荚兰 - 香子兰 - 香草 - 云呢拿
Chinese (traditional): 香莢蘭 - 香草蘭 - 香子蘭
Czech: Vanilovník plocholistý
Dutch: Vanille, Vanille-orchidee
English: Vanilla, West Indian vanilla, Flat-leaved vanilla, Bourbon vanilla, Common vanilla, Vanilla orchid, Vanilla vine, Commercial vanilla
Filipino: Vanilla
Finnish: Vanilja
French: Vanille, Vanillier à feuilles planes, Vanillier, Vanille Bourbon
German: Echte vanille
Hindi: वैनिला Vainila
Hungarian: Vanília
Indonesian: Vanili, Kemeli, Panili, Perneli
Italian: Vaniglia, Vainiglia
Japanese: バニラ - 華尼拉
Java: Panili
Kannada: Vanila
Konkani: Vanil
Malayalam: Vanila, Vaanila
Polish: Wanilia płaskolistna
Portuguese: Baunilha
Russian: Ваниль душистая, Ваниль плосколистная, Ваниль
Slovak: Vanilka voňavá
Spanish: Vainilla, Vainilla comun
Tamil: வாணி-கே-கோட்டி Vani-K-Koti
Telugu: Venila
Thai: วานิลา
Tibetan: དྲི་ཞིམ་ལྡན་པའི་རྩྭ། Dri Zhim Ldan Pa'i Rtswa
Turkish: Vanilya

Aryo Bandoro
Dlium TheDlium
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