FoI
East-Indian Vanilla
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East-Indian Vanilla
P Native Photo: Thingnam Rajshree
Common name: East-Indian Vanilla
Botanical name: Vanilla borneensis    Family: Orchidaceae (Orchid family)
Synonyms: Vanilla pilifera

East-Indian Vanilla is a large sized, tree-dwelling orchid with an elongate, round climbing stem carrying short stalked leaves that have an abrupt narrow tip. The plant blooming in the winter and early spring on a 3-7 cm long, up to 6 flowered inflorescence with spreading bracts and carrying fragrant flowers. Flowers are 6.8 cm across with prominently hairy lip. Sepals are 3, free, oblong-lanceshaped, greenish, shiny, 3-3.4 cm long. Lateral petals are similar to sepals; lip whitish pink with dark purple veins inside, about 3 cm long with appendage hairs at tip down to the mouth close to 8-10 scales of brush, hairs about 0.5 cm long; lower inside in front column dark red; column 1-1.8 cm long, most part fused to lip; operculum green. East-Indian Vanilla is native to NE India, Thailand to Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo.

Identification credit: Pankaj Kumar Photographed in State Orchidarium, Imphal, Manipur.

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