Description originale
Moore, J. W. 1933. New and critical plants from Raiatea. Bernice P. Bishop museum bulletin, 102: 53.

 

Statut pour la Polynésie française
Moore, J. W. 1933. New and critical plants from Raiatea. Bernice P. Bishop museum bulletin, 102: 53. [PF = I]

 

Statut pour la Polynésie française
Soto Arenas, M. A. & Cribb, P. J. 2010. A new infrageneric classification and synopsis of the genus Vanilla Plum. ex mill. (Orchidaceae: Vanillinae) Lankesteriana, 9(3): 355-398. [PF = I]

 

Date de publication : Bull. Bernice P. Bishop Mus., 102: 25. 1933 [20/07/1933 fide Tropicos; 1933 fide p. de titre].

Description originale : New and Critical Plants from Raiatea. By John William Moore.
Introduction [...] The type specimens of the new species here described will be deposited in the herbarim of Bernice P. Bishop Museum. [...]
Vanilla tahitensis, species nova.
Caules circa 4 mm. crassi (quum sicci 3 mm. crassi) emittentes radices singulas e nodis, internodia ad 5 cm. longa, laminae 12-14 cm. longae 2^1/2-3 cm. latae ovato-lanceolatae acutae nervis circa 20 longitudinalibus prominentibus (quum siccis) instructae, petiolus circa 1 cm. longus supra (quum siccus) prominenter canaliculatus, inflorescentia racemosa pauciflora, flores flavo-virentes, sepala petalaque similia inter se circa 6 cm. longa 1 cm. lata ovato-lanceolata subacuta, labellum circa 4^1/2 cm. longum convolutum parte ^3/4 proxima columnae conjunctum apice retusum carinis longitudinalibus crenulatis et circa 3 cm. supra basin crista pilorum retrorsorum instructum, margines labellorum revoluti lacerato-serrati, lobus medius recurvus obtusus vel subacutus, columna superficie anteriore pubescens, circa 3^1/2 cm. longa, capsula 12-14 cm. longa circa 1 cm. lata complanata ad apicem truncata, semina late obovata circa 400 µ X 330 µ nitida nigra contra regulam reticulata.
Field number 294, November 11, 1926, altitude 20 meters; on trees, escaped from cultivation, third valley south of Faaroa Bay. Cultivated in the Society Islands.
Vanilla tahitensis differs from Vanilla fragrans (Salisbury) Ames (Vanilla planifolia) in having more slender stems, narrower leaves, longer perianth segments, a lip that is shorter than the sepals, a longer column, and shorter pods. Gnadinger (21) pointed out the presence of anisyl alcohol in the beans of the Tahitian vanilla and the absence of this substance in the beans of the Mexican vanilla.

Type : Polynésie française, Archipel de la Société, Îles Sous-le-Vent, Raiatea, troisième vallée au sud de la baie de Faaroa [probablement vallée d'Opoa], 20 m, on trees, escaped from cultivation, 11/11/1926, fleurs & fruits. 2-3 dm high. Native name "Vanira tahiti". John W. Moore 294 (HT: BISH1003938; IT: BISH1003939, MIN1002733, P00641939).