Vanilla moonii
Vanilla moonii is a plant of the genus Vanilla ( Vanilla ) in the orchid family ( Orchidaceae). It grows as a climbing plant in Sri Lanka.
Description
Vanilla moonii is an evergreen climber. The offspring measures 1.2 to 1.5 inches in diameter, it is clear along furrowed. The leaves are eight to 18 inches long and 2.5 to 4.5 inches wide. The leaf shape is narrow ovate to lanceolate, curved like a sickle, extends far forward blunt ending. The leaf base is rounded, a petiole is hardly visible.
The heyday of Vanilla moonii is in April. The inflorescence is 2.5 to 7.5 inches long, the inflorescence axis is quite thick. The unbranched inflorescence consists of up to 21 flowers. The bracts are quite variable, they are 0.5 to 3.5 inches tall. Pedicel and ovary together measure 1.5 to three centimeters. The flowers are creamy yellow to whitish yellow. Sepals and petals are about 2.5 inches long, lanceolate, along inclined tubular in the lower area, spread its front part. The lip is slightly lighter than the other petals, with brown hair. It is 2.5 inches long, undivided or obscurely three-lobed, tubular beaten around the column, curled the front edge. In the front third is a strip with short hair, at the lower end sit thick, rearward papillae. The capsule fruit is about ten inches long at one centimeter in diameter.
Dissemination
Vanilla moonii is endemic in Sri Lanka. They settled dense forests up to 700 meters in height.
Systematics and botanical history
Vanilla moonii in 1861 described by Thwaites for the first time.
Within the genus Vanilla Vanilla moonii, is classified in the subgenus Xanata and there in the section Thetya that contains all kinds of Paläotropis. According Portères Vanilla moonii resembles a scaled down in all parts of spice vanilla (Vanilla planifolia ). Details of flowering remember Vanilla griffithii, as another related species he suspected Vanilla ovalis and Vanilla albida. After Soto Arenas and Cribb are related species Vanilla albida, andamanica Vanilla, Vanilla havilandii, Vanilla montana, Vanilla and Vanilla sanjappae yersiniana. The flowers also are similarities to Vanilla and Vanilla annamica Sumai.