Volume 12 > Part 1 > Year 2011 > Page 270 > Orchidaceae > Vanilla

2. Vanilla aphylla Blume

Bijdr.: 422. 1825; Ridl., Fl. Malay Penins. 4: 201. 1924; Gagnep., Fl. Indo-Chine 6: 582. 1934; Holttum, Revis. Fl. Malaya 1:97. 1953; Seidenf. & Smitinand, Orchids Thail.: 57, fig. 39. 1959; Backer & Bakh.f., Fl. Java 3: 259. 1968; Seidenf., Bull. Mus. Hist. Nat. (Paris), sér. 3, 71, Bot. 5: 149. 1973; Contrib. Revis. Orchid Fl. Cambodia, Laos & Vietnam: 111. 1975; Dansk Bot. Ark. 32(2): 142, fig. 90. 1978; J.B.Comber, Orchids Java: 75. 1990; Seidenf., Opera Bot. 114: 72. 1992; Seidenf. & J.J.Wood, Orchids Penins. Malays. Singap.: 127, fig. 51f, 1992. Fig. 158; Plate XXII: 4.

Accepted Name : This is currently accepted.

Synonyms & Citations :

Description : Stems climbing to several meters long, subquadrangular, green, 5–8 mm in diameter, longitudinally grooved; each aerial root perpendicular to a scale leaf. Foliage leaves reduced to small scales and early caducous, light green, lanceolate, 10–12 by 2–3 mm, apex acuminate, glabrous. Inflorescence 2- to 3-flowered; rachis 2–7 mm long, glabrous; bracts ovate, 2–2.5 by 2–3 mm, persistent, membranous, glabrous. Flowers showy, long-pedicelled. Sepals glabrous, light greenish-yellow, oblong-oblanceolate, apex obtuse, slightly hooded; dorsal sepal 2.3–2.6 by 0.7–0.9 cm, 11- to 15-veined; lateral sepals 2.4–2.6 by 0.7–0.8 cm, 13- to 15-veined. Petals glabrous, light greenish-yellow, oblong-oblanceolate, 2.3–2.6 by 0.8–0.9 cm, 11- to 13-veined, with strong midvein outside, apex acute to obtuse, not hooded. Labellum white to light green, 3-lobed, 2.5–3 cm long along the mid-line, with a brush on disc opposite anther, 2–3 mm high, consisting of close transversal flat hinged scales, deeply fringed at the apex, pointing downwards in the flower, with red streaks on either side, below brush with scattered papillae; side lobes rounded, adnate to the column up to below anther, the apical margins wavy, recurved, 2–2.2 cm across both sides when spread out; midlobe rounded, 1–1.2 cm wide at base, ca 1 cm long, margin wavy, with dense long fine pale violet hairs continuing in a median band down to the brush, hairs 2–4 mm long. Column slender, 1.5–1.7 cm long, glabrous, slightly winged at the top; anther ca 2 mm long, glabrous. Ovary (including pedicel) 1–3 cm long. Berry oblong, 7–8 by 0.6–0.7 mm.

Thailand : NORTHERN: Phitsanulok; EASTERN: Nakhon Ratchasima; SOUTH-WESTERN: Kanchanaburi; CENTRAL: Saraburi; SOUTH-EASTERN: Chanthaburi, Sa Kaeo; PENINSULAR: Chumphon, Narathiwat, Phuket, Satun, Songkhla, Surat Thani, Trang.

Distribution : Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Peninsular Malaysia, Java (type).

Ecology : In tropical evergreen forests, deciduous forests and bamboo forests; 50–500 m alt. Flowering: All year round, especially May–October.

Vernacular : Khot nok kut (คดนกกูด)(Surat Thani); khruea ngu khiao (เครืองูเขียว)(Nakhon Ratchasima); thao ngu khao (เถางูเขียว)(Saraburi).