Vanilla Planifolia (Noun)
Meaning
A climbing orchid bearing a podlike fruit yielding vanilla beans; widely cultivated from Florida southward throughout tropical America.
Classification
Nouns denoting plants.
Examples
- The vanilla planifolia, a type of orchid, is the primary source of commercial vanilla beans.
- In Mexico, where the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés first encountered the vanilla planifolia, the plant is still highly valued for its flavor and fragrance.
- Cultivating vanilla planifolia is a labor-intensive process that requires careful hand-pollination of the orchid flowers.
- Vanilla planifolia is native to the tropical regions of Central America, but it is now grown commercially in many parts of the world.
- Vanilla planifolia extract, which is obtained from the pods of the orchid, is commonly used as a flavoring in ice cream, desserts, and fragrances.