Vanilla Planifolia


Vanilla planifolia, flower

VANILLA PLANIFOLIA 

 In a remote corner at the edge of the Indian ocean lies Madagascar, one of the top producing countries of Vanilla. Vanilla Orchid Pods are used to produce vanilla, a flavouring spice which can be used in cakes, cookies and ice cream. Or it’s used in perfumery or medicines.
Vanilla is a member of the orchid family. The orchid family consist of some 25,000-different species. Vanilla is native of South and Central America and the Caribbean. The First people that cultivated Vanilla were the Totonacs of Mexico´s east coast. Mexico exported the delicate flavours of vanilla to all the corners of the world. They were the leading vanilla supplier in the world, until the 19th century. Mexican producers have been unalbe to reclaim their position as leading vanilla supplier. Right now, the African and Asian countries have claimed the title in the global vanilla market (including Madagascar). 

The Taxonomy of Vanilla is as follow:

RANK
SCIENTIFIC NAME AND COMMON NAME
Kingdom
Plantae- Plants
Subkingdom
Tracheobionta – Vascular Plants
Superdivision
Spermatophyta – Seed Plants
Division
Magnoliophyta – Flowering Plants
Class
Liliopsida – Monocotyledons
Subclass
Liliidae
Order
Orchidales
Family
Genus
Species
Orchidaceae – Orchid Family
Vanilla Mill. – Vanilla
Vanilla planifolia Jacks. – Vanilla








 
So, the Scientific name of vanilla is; 'Vanilla Planifolia' 
Vanilla is produced perennial. It keeps on going. It is a tropical vine, which can reach a length of over 30 m. It has thick, fleshy stems and greenish-yellow flowers, with a diameter of about 5 cm. But, the problem with vanilla is that it is expensive. Vanilla is the second most pricey spice in the world (after Saffron), because of the labour-intensive production. Each vanilla flower stays open for 24 hours. In these 24 hours, it needs to be pollinated. You can use natural pollination or hand pollination. Natural pollination can only be done by the Melipona bee. If the bee is not found in the area where you grow the crop, you need to do it by hand.
In Mexico, the vanilla orchid is pollinated mostly by bees, but in Madagascar, it has to be pollinated by hand. Vanilla needs a hot tropical climate with high humidity. The pods also need to be dried. The minimum time that they need to be dried is six months before they can be exported.
In Mexico, the vanilla orchid is pollinated mostly by bees, but in Madagascar, it has to be pollinated by hand. Vanilla needs a hot tropical climate with high humidity. The pods also need to be dried. The minimum time that they need to be dried is six months before they can be exported.

References

Rebecca Rupp. (2014, October 23). The History of Vanilla. Retrieved from http://theplate.nationalgeographic.com/2014/10/23/plain-vanilla/
Test Writer. (2017, April 25). The Leading Countries In Vanilla Production In The World. Retrieved from http://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-leading-countries-in-vanilla-production-in-the-world.html
USDA. (- ). Classification. Retrieved from Vanilla planifolia Jacks: https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=VAPL2#


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