Flat vanilla [2] , or fragrant vanilla [3] , sometimes also just vanilla [4] ( lat. Vanilla planifolia ) - a species of monocotyledonous plants of the genus Vanilla ( Vanilla ) of the Orchidaceae family [5] [6] . The plant was described by British botanist Henry Charles Andrews in 1808 [7] [8] .
| Flat vanilla |
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| Scientific classification |
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| Grade: | Monocotyledonous [1] |
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| International scientific name |
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Vanilla planifolia jacks. ex Andrews , 1808 |
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It is actively cultivated because of fruits that contain vanillin [2] and are used mainly in the food industry [3] [9] (as a spice ), as well as in perfumery and medicine [10] .
Content
Botanical illustration from
Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen , 1887
The birthplace of flat vanilla is West Indies [11] ; today it is also found in the humid tropical forests of Florida ( USA ), Central America and the north of South America [12] .
Evergreen [13] , an epiphytic plant. The stalk is green, curly, carries numerous fleshy sharp leaves of an elliptical-oblong or ovoid-elliptical shape. The inflorescence is racemose [12] . Flowers are 6 cm in size [12] , yellow-green. It blooms in spring and early summer [13] . The fruit is the pod [comm. 1] , from which, in fact, vanillin is extracted [12] .
It grows in moist, warm [14] , shaded places. It prefers moist soils with neutral acidity [13] .
Vanilla planifolia is the only cultivated orchid with nutritional value [14] . The fruits of flat vanilla contain up to 2% vanillin [15] , used as a food aromatic additive, usually in sweet dishes [3] . Vanilla pompona [16] has similar properties, but the spice obtained from it has a lower quality than V. planifolia . All other species of the genus Vanilla are grown only as ornamental plants [3] .
Essential oil with healing properties is also obtained from vanilla pods. Vanilla extracts are used to make vanilla vodka [3] .
The plant was discovered by the Spaniards at the beginning of the XVI century during the campaigns of Hernan Cortes . Prior to this, flat vanilla was cultivated by the ancient Aztecs [10] [15] , who called it “tlilxochitl” (literally black flower ) [16] .
When creating the necessary conditions, it can grow at home [14] .
Due to an allergy to vanilla, some people may experience allergic reactions or itchy skin when interacting with a plant [10] [13] .
The view has the following synonymous names [7] :
- Epidendrum rubrum Lam.
- Notylia planifolia ( Jacks. Ex Andrews ) Conz.
- Notylia sativa ( Schiede ) Conz.
- Vanilla bampsiana geerinck
- Vanilla duckei huber
- Vanilla fragrans ames
- Vanilla planifolia angusta costantin & boiss. ex C.Henry
- Vanilla rubra ( Lam. ) Urb.
- Vanilla sativa schiede
- Vanilla sylvestris schiede
- Vanilla viridiflora blume
Comments
- ↑ Or rather, resembling a pod box .
Sources
