Also known as the Worm Vine, Vanilla barbellata is distributed in the West Indies, Cuba, and south Florida. Seedlings are initially terrestrial s growing in the thick humus layer, but as the vine continues to grow upward, the older parts of the vine eventually die, leaving this orchid completely epiphytic. It produces an edible seed pod from which Vanilla extract can be made. The flowers are light green to white with a colorful tubular lip.
