in taxon spice or flavor-producing plant vanilla plant Vanilla spp. Vanilla Vanilla Mill. PLANTS:VANIL Vanilla planifolia Andr. MANSFELD:11314 Vanilla, the vanilla orchids, forms a flowering plant genus of about 110 species in the orchid family (*Orchidaceae*). The most widely known member is the flat-leaved vanilla (*V. planifolia*), native to Mexico, from which commercial vanilla flavoring is derived. The fruit is termed "vanilla bean", though true beans are fabaceaen eudicots not at all closely related to orchids. Rather, the vanilla fruit is technically an elongate, fleshy and later dehiscent capsule 10-20 cm long. It ripens gradually for 8 to 9 months after flowering, eventually turning black in color and giving off a strong aroma. Each pod contains thousands of minute seeds, and both the pods and seeds within are used to create vanilla flavoring. Vanilla beans are harvested by hand from commercial orchards. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanilla_(genus)] french vanilla vanilla fragrans vanilla spp Vanilla pompona Vanilla planifolia Vanilla x tahitensis Vanilla x tahitensis requires discussion