Vanilla pompona
Schiede
Orchidaceae
Notylia pompona (Schiede) Conz.
Common Name:
General Information
Vanilla pompona is a succulent-stemmed, perennial climbing plant, producing a stem that can be 5 metres or more long. The plant grows into trees, supporting itself by means of aerial roots that are produced from the stem nodes. It is often epiphytic, or becomes epiphytic as the lower portion of the stem withers and dies.
This species yields an inferior quality of vanilla, though it does also have some advantages over that species. It was at one time a very popular spice but is less often used nowadays, though still occasionally cultivated for its seedpods[
46- Title
- Dictionary of Economic Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Uphof. J. C. Th.
- Publisher
- Weinheim
- Year
- 1959
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
,
649- Title
- Orchids of Guatemala
- Publication
-
- Author
- Ames O. & Correll D.S.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Chicago Natural History Museum; Chicago.
- Year
- 1952
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Although dated, still an excellent treatment of the Orchids of Guatemala. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
Known Hazards
The stems produce a watery and caustic latex when wounded[
648- Title
- Contributions from the United States National Herbarium. Vol. 51
- Publication
-
- Author
- Acevedo-Rodríguez P. (Editor)
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Smithsonian Institution; Washington.
- Year
- 2005
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A treatment of the climbing plants of Puerto Rico. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
Botanical References
649- Title
- Orchids of Guatemala
- Publication
-
- Author
- Ames O. & Correll D.S.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Chicago Natural History Museum; Chicago.
- Year
- 1952
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Although dated, still an excellent treatment of the Orchids of Guatemala. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
Range
Northern Central America - Mexico.
Habitat
Brush woods and half-shady places in low country[
596- Title
- Inventory of Seeds and Plants Imported Vol. 53
- Publication
- USDA Bureau of Plant Industry
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Government Printing Office; Washington DC.
- Year
- 1922
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Details of seeds and plants imported for trials by the United States Department of Agriculture in the last quarter of 1917, often detailing the uses of the plant and various other miscellaneous information. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
]. On trees and shrubs in forests at elevations up to 1,000 metres in Guatemala[
649- Title
- Orchids of Guatemala
- Publication
-
- Author
- Ames O. & Correll D.S.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Chicago Natural History Museum; Chicago.
- Year
- 1952
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Although dated, still an excellent treatment of the Orchids of Guatemala. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
Properties
| Edibility Rating |  |
| Medicinal Rating |  |
| Habit | Perennial Climber |
| Height | 0.00 m |
| Cultivation Status | Cultivated, Wild |
Cultivation Details
Although the pods are of inferior quality to the true vanilla (Vanilla planifolia), the plant does also have some advantages inasmuch as its pods do not have a tendency to wilt; it is easily cured; and the vines are said to flower and fruit three or four times during the year[
596- Title
- Inventory of Seeds and Plants Imported Vol. 53
- Publication
- USDA Bureau of Plant Industry
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Government Printing Office; Washington DC.
- Year
- 1922
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Details of seeds and plants imported for trials by the United States Department of Agriculture in the last quarter of 1917, often detailing the uses of the plant and various other miscellaneous information. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
The flowers, which individually only live for a day, usually need to be hand pollinated, especially when the plant is growing outside its native range, if the fruit is to be produced[
648- Title
- Contributions from the United States National Herbarium. Vol. 51
- Publication
-
- Author
- Acevedo-Rodríguez P. (Editor)
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Smithsonian Institution; Washington.
- Year
- 2005
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A treatment of the climbing plants of Puerto Rico. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
,
649- Title
- Orchids of Guatemala
- Publication
-
- Author
- Ames O. & Correll D.S.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Chicago Natural History Museum; Chicago.
- Year
- 1952
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Although dated, still an excellent treatment of the Orchids of Guatemala. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
It takes 6 months from flowering until the seedpods are ready to harvest[
649- Title
- Orchids of Guatemala
- Publication
-
- Author
- Ames O. & Correll D.S.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Chicago Natural History Museum; Chicago.
- Year
- 1952
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Although dated, still an excellent treatment of the Orchids of Guatemala. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
Edible Uses
The short, thick seedpod is used as a vanilla-like flavouring in foods[
46- Title
- Dictionary of Economic Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Uphof. J. C. Th.
- Publisher
- Weinheim
- Year
- 1959
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
,
301- Title
- Cornucopia II
- Publication
-
- Author
- Facciola. S.
- Publisher
- Kampong Publications, California.
- Year
- 1998
- ISBN
- 0-9628087-2-5
- Description
- The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
]. Inferior to the true vanilla (Vanilla planifolia)[
46- Title
- Dictionary of Economic Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Uphof. J. C. Th.
- Publisher
- Weinheim
- Year
- 1959
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
,
649- Title
- Orchids of Guatemala
- Publication
-
- Author
- Ames O. & Correll D.S.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Chicago Natural History Museum; Chicago.
- Year
- 1952
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Although dated, still an excellent treatment of the Orchids of Guatemala. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
Medicinal
The fermented fruit is made into vanilla crystals which are then put into carapa oil (Carapa guianensis) and used in the treatment of poor blood circulation and skin conditions[
348- Title
- Medicinal Plants of the Guianas
- Publication
-
- Author
- DeFilipps, R. A.; Maina, S. L.; & Crepin, J.
- Website
- http://botany.si.edu/bdg/medicinal/index.html
- Publisher
- Smithsonian Museum
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A down-loadable PDF document of a book in pre-publication awaiting illustration. An excellent, if rather terse, guide to the traditional medicinal uses of the plants of the region
].
Other Uses
None known
Propagation
Seed -
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Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
