Vanilla gardneri

Botanical Description

Vanilla gardneri is a succulent-stemmed, perennial climbing plant, producing a stem that can be 7 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. The plant yields a seed pod that can be used like vanilla. Mainly used locally, it has minor commercial importance, mainly as an adulterant of the true vanilla (Vanilla planifolia). The plant is sometimes cultivated for its pods[ 317 Title Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants Publication Author Website http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336 Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Terse details of a huge range of useful plants. ].