About Vanilla phaeantha Rchb.f.
Vanilla phaeantha (scientific name Vanilla phaeantha Rchb.f.) has common names leafy vanilla and oblong-leaved vanilla. This plant species is confirmed to grow across multiple regions of the Neotropics, specifically Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Trinidad & Tobago, Martinique, Jamaica, Cuba, Panama, Costa Rica, and Mexico. It also occurs in Collier County, Florida, USA. In Florida, it grows in cypress swamps and hammocks at elevations below 20 meters (67 feet).
Vanilla phaeantha produces persistent, leathery, flat leaves that can reach up to 15 centimeters in length; leaves are approximately the same length as the plant's internodes, or slightly shorter. Flowers grow in racemes that hold around 12 flowers each, and these racemes form in the axils of the leaves. The sepals and petals are green, leathery, and rigid, while the flower lip ranges from yellow to cream in color. The fruits are cylindrical, growing up to 10 centimeters (4 inches) long and up to 1 centimeter (0.4 inches) in diameter.
