Orchidaceae FAMILY

Vanilla pompona

Edibility

3/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

The stems produce a watery and caustic latex when wounded[ 648 Title Contributions from the United States National Herbarium. Vol. 51 Publication Author Acevedo-Rodríguez P. (Editor) Website http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org Publisher Smithsonian Institution; Washington. Year 2005 ISBN Description A treatment of the climbing plants of Puerto Rico. It can be downloaded from the Internet. ].

Botanical Description

Vanilla pompona is a succulent-stemmed, perennial climbing plant, producing a stem that can be 5 metres or more long. The plant grows into trees, supporting itself by means of aerial roots that are produced from the stem nodes. It is often epiphytic, or becomes epiphytic as the lower portion of the stem withers and dies. This species yields an inferior quality of vanilla, though it does also have some advantages over that species. It was at one time a very popular spice but is less often used nowadays, though still occasionally cultivated for its seedpods[ 46 Title Dictionary of Economic Plants. Publication Author Uphof. J. C. Th. Publisher Weinheim Year 1959 ISBN - Description An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader. , 649 Title Orchids of Guatemala Publication Author Ames O. & Correll D.S. Website http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org Publisher Chicago Natural History Museum; Chicago. Year 1952 ISBN Description Although dated, still an excellent treatment of the Orchids of Guatemala. It can be downloaded from the Internet. ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical

Native RangeNorthern Central America - Mexico.

HabitatBrush woods and half-shady places in low country[ 596 Title Inventory of Seeds and Plants Imported Vol. 53 Publication USDA Bureau of Plant Industry Author Website http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org Publisher Government Printing Office; Washington DC. Year 1922 ISBN Description Details of seeds and plants imported for trials by the United States Department of Agriculture in the last quarter of 1917, often detailing the uses of the plant and various other miscellaneous information. It can be downloaded from the Internet. ]. On trees and shrubs in forests at elevations up to 1,000 metres in Guatemala[ 649 Title Orchids of Guatemala Publication Author Ames O. & Correll D.S. Website http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org Publisher Chicago Natural History Museum; Chicago. Year 1952 ISBN Description Although dated, still an excellent treatment of the Orchids of Guatemala. It can be downloaded from the Internet. ].