Handbook of Vanilla Science and Technology

10. Vanilla palmarum Cuba, South America

11. Vanilla phaeantha South Florida to Caribbean, Central America

12. Vanilla planifolia Caribbean, Mexico to Paraguay; widely cultivated

13. Vanilla poitaei Caribbean

14. Vanilla pompona Mexico to Central America

CENTRAL & SOUTH AMERICA (excluding Mexico and Caribbean)

1. Vanilla acuta Northern South America

2. Vanilla angustipetala Brazil

3. Vanilla appendiculata Guyana

4. Vanilla bahiana Brazil

5. Vanilla barrereana French Guiana

6. Vanilla bertoniensis Paraguay to Southern Brazil

7. Vanilla bicolor Caribbean to Southern Tropical America

8. Vanilla bradei Brazil

9. Vanilla calyculata Colombia

10. Vanilla carinata Brazil

11. Vanilla chamissonis French Guiana to NE Argentina

12. Vanilla columbiana Colombia

13. Vanilla cristagalli Brazil

14. Vanilla cristatocallosa Guyana to Brazil

15. Vanilla denticulata Brazil

16. Vanilla dubia Brazil

17. Vanilla dungsii Brazil

18. Vanilla edwallii Brazil to Argentina

19. Vanilla fimbriata Guyana

20. Vanilla gardneri E. Brazil

21. Vanilla grandiflora Southern Tropical America

22. Vanilla hamata Peru

23. Vanilla hartii C. America, Trinidad

24. Vanilla helleri C. America

25. Vanilla hostmannii Suriname

26. Vanilla inodora Mexico to Central America

27. Vanilla insignis Honduras

28. Vanilla latisegmenta Guyana

29. Vanilla leprieurii French Guiana

30. Vanilla lindmaniana Brazil

31. Vanilla marowynensis Suriname

32. Vanilla methonica Colombia

33. Vanilla mexicana S. Florida, Mexico to Trop. America

34. Vanilla odorata S. Mexico to Trop. America

35. Vanilla organensis Brazil

36. Vanilla oroana Ecuador

37. Vanilla ovata French Guiana to Brazil

38. Vanilla parvifolia S. Brazil to Paraguay

39. Vanilla penicillata Venezuela

40. Vanilla perexilis Paraguay to S. Brazil

41. Vanilla phaeantha S. Florida to Caribbean, C. America

42. Vanilla planifolia Caribbean, Mexico to Paraguay; widely cultivated

43. Vanilla pompona Mexico to C. America

44. Vanilla porteresiana French Guiana

45. Vanilla purusara Brazil

46. Vanilla ribeiroi Brazil

47. Vanilla rojasiana Paraguay to NE. Argentina

48. Vanilla ruiziana Peru

49. Vanilla schwackeana Brazil

50. Vanilla sprucei Colombia to N. Brazil

51. Vanilla surinamensis Suriname

52. Vanilla trigonocarpa Costa Rica to N. Brazil

53. Vanilla uncinata N. Brazil

54. Vanilla weberbaueriana Peru

Vanilla and its relatives are surviving members of what is likely an ancient lineage of flowering plants (Cameron 1999, 2000). Many are restricted to remote localities, and some are threatened with extinction. As such, a review of vanilloid orchid systematics (the scientific study of the diversity and classification of organisms) is critical to a comprehensive understanding of the biology of Vanilla planifolia and these exceptional orchids.

14.1 VANILLOIDEAE AMONG ORCHIDS