General Information

COMMON NAMES: Vanilla, Mexican Vanilla, Bourbon Vanilla; German Echte Vanille; French Vanille TRADITIONAL NAMES: Vānira (RR MG AT MK MT AK) GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE se.Mexico COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Introduced - Recent (1862 by Krause), Not naturalised; S.Group only - rare; Land, lowlands - mountains (+) (low elev.) SIGNIFICANCE LIST: ; Locally endangeredFood (Fruit 2+) Cond KEY FEATURES: A cultivated orchid vine, to 15m, pollinated by hand to produced fruit pods. STEM round, with a leaf and roots at each node. LEAVES alternate, oval, to 20x6cm. FLOWERS on a stem opening in succession from the basal one, greenish-yellow, 10cmØ, sepals and petals slender, labellum trumpet-shaped with orange stripes. FRUIT long, cylindrical, to 20x1cm ripening yellow. SEEDS minute, round, black. SIMILAR SPECIES: Tahitian Vanilla (Vanilla tahitensis) has a slender stem to XXXcm (vs 1-2cm), narrow tapering leaves to XXxXXcm (vs oval to 20x6cm).

Cook Islands Distribution

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Southern Group: Present    Makatea: Present
RR	MG	AT	MK	MT	AK	PL	TK	MN
++	+++	++	P	++	P	-	-	-

Northern Group: -
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW
-	-	-	-	-	-

Vanilla planifolia Jackson ex Andrews
SYNONYMS: Vanilla fragrans; Vanilla aromatica [sensu]

TAXONOMY: PLANTAE; ANTHOPHYTA (=Angiospermae); LILIOPSIDA (=Monocotyledones); LILIIDAE; Orchidales; ORCHIDACEAE

SIGNIFICANCE NOTES -
BIODIVERSITY: Locally endangered. Comment: NBSAP - Mauke (9 of 9 domestic plants), NBSAP - Mitiaro (2 of 6 domestic plants)
POSITIVE SIGNIFICANCE: Food (Fruit 2+) Cond. Comments: The cured fruit pods are used to flavour food and to scent perfumes. The second most expensive natural spice after saffron.

IDENTIFICATION: A climbing orchid, to 15m, cultivated on supporting trees. STEMS with roots opposite the leaf at each joint, often zigzagging, 1-2cmØ. LEAVES alternate, fleshy, oval to lancelike, to 20x6cm, base round, tip sharp; stalk short. FLOWERS in axillary, clustered along a short stem 8cm, with 6-15 successive flowers; 10cmØ; pale greenish-yellow to orange; sepals 3, oblong, to 6x1cm; petals upper two similar to sepals but smaller; labellum trumpet-shaped, lip fringe-edged; inside striped yellow-orange; shorter than petals. Flowers for 2 months a year, flowers last a day, are hand pollinated before noon, success rate about 60%. FRUIT hanging, long, cylindrical pods (=capsules); to 20x1cm, split lengthwise when ripe. SEEDS numerous, round, black, 0.4mmØ.

GENERAL NOTE: The early vanilla of the Cook Islands was known as Tahitian Vanilla, which is a norrow-leaved mutant variety of this species, or a hybrid of this species with another species, West Indian Vanilla (Vanilla pompona). The ancient Aztecs made extensive use of dried vanilla beans to flavour their popular chocolate beverage, Aztec "chocolatl". Chocolate and vanilla were introduced to Europe by the Spanish around 1530. The "tlilxochitl" of the Aztecs, became the "vaynilla" of the Spanish. In Europe vanilla was used to flavour chocolate drink and many other foods. In its native environment the vanilla flower is mainly pollinated by a small stingless bee. The pollinator has not been introduced successfully to other countries. It was not until 1841 that a slave on Reunion Island discovered how to hand-pollinate the flowers and after that it was possible to produce vanilla in many tropical countries. The main produces being Madagascar, Mexico, Tahiti, and Indonesia The near-ripe "beans" (pods) are picked (when yellow at tip or ideally when completely yellow) and cured. The curing or drying process is very slow, taking 3-6 months, and the "bean" changes from green to black with an oily coating and a strong aroma. Synthetic vanilla is much cheaper to produce and has about 97% of teh market share for flavouring foods and in perfumes. Curing process [after Petard] for Tahitian variety: 15-25 days each day 2hrs in sun (5hrs maximum); rest wrapped in wollen covers in crates. Aroma develops during curing. Toward 5th day take warm pods and massage between thumb and index finger to make pod supple and glossy. When nicely browned 40% moisture will have been lost; lay out thinly in dry airy place to complete drying. Store in bundles. Entire process should take about 3 months for good vanilla.

Vouchers:
None Recorded.

References:
p.276 Neal - In Gardens of Hawaii
p.473 Tropica
p.5/338 A.C.Smith - Flora Vitiensis Nova
p.37 R Wilder - Flora of Rarotonga
p.411e Whistler - Ethnobotany of the Cook Islands

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM02, zD02

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