Vanilla abundiflora
J. J. Smith
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Wikimedia Commons - Jadoklk
Wikimedia Commons - Jadoklk
What to Eat
Edible parts: Fruit, Spice
The seedpods can be used as a food flavouring like vanilla (Vanilla planifolia), though their fragrance is less strong.
Where to Find It
A tropical plant. It grows in moderately dense forest on swampy land.
Asia, Indonesia, SE Asia,
Countries: United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Brunei, Bhutan, China, Georgia, Indonesia, Israel, India, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Mongolia, Maldives, Malaysia, Nepal, Oman, Philippines, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Syria, Thailand, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Taiwan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen
How to Identify
An orchid. It is a succulent herb. The stems are 10-20 m long. The leaf blade is long oval shaped and 25 cm long by 9 cm wide. The flowers occur as large white flowers in a string. The fruit is 25 cm long by 2 cm wide and is yellow-brown.
Notes
There are about 100 Vanilla species.
References (3)
- Hanelt, P., et al, (Eds.), 2001, Mansfield's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Springer p 2309
- PROSEA handbook Volume 13 Spices. p 265
- World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
