Vanilla is obtained from what part of the plant?
Vanilla polylepis its tip. Once fertilised, the plant produces dry seeds pods, known as capsules, measuring by . Each capsule contains oval-shaped, wingless seeds. Seeds measure in length, which is comparatively large for an orchid. This species looks similar to "Vanilla imperialis" but can distinguished by a series of scales on the lip and purple blotches rather than lines on the flower. The generic name "Vanilla" comes from the Spanish word "vanilla", meaning "little pod", referring to the plant's seed pods. The epithet "polylepis" comes from Greek, combining the prefix 'poly', meaning "many, with "lepis" meaning "scale". "Polylepis" refers to the rows
Vanilla is highly valued for its flavor. As a result, vanilla is widely used in both commercial and domestic baking, perfume manufacture, and aromatherapy. Residues of vanillin and 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde – the main aroma and flavor components of vanilla – were found by archeologists in burial jugs of a Bronze Age tomb in Megiddo, Israel, indicating that vanilla was likely obtained by sea trade from India or Africa some 3,600 years ago in what is now the Middle East, and was used to flavor olive oil. According to other popular belief, the Totonac Aztec-age people, who inhabit the east coast of Mexico