Vanilla planifolia Vanilla planifolia Vanilla planifolia is a species of vanilla orchid. It is native to Mexico and Central America, and is one of the primary sources for vanilla flavouring, due to its high vanillin content. Common names are flat-leaved vanilla, Tahitian vanilla, and West Indian vanilla (also used for the Pompona vanilla, "V. pompona"). Often, it is simply referred to as "the vanilla". It was first scientifically named in 1808. "Vanilla planifolia" is found in Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and northeastern South America. It prefers hot, wet, tropical climates. It is cultivated and harvested primarily in Veracruz, Mexico and in
Orchid Island villages (村) Orchid Island hosts many tropical plants species, sharing many species with tropical Asia but also many endemics: there are 35 plant species found nowhere else. For example, "Pinanga tashiroi" is a species of palm tree found nowhere else than Orchid Island. Green sea turtles make nests on the island, which is surrounded by coral reefs. Four species of sea snakes inhabit the waters round the island. Humpback whales were historically common in the area, and there were continuous sightings of them in the 2000s, which marked the first return of the species into Taiwanese waters since the cessation