Vanilla Species Confusion
 

Almost 6 years ago, I ordered the FL native Vanilla barbellata online and have grown it in an increasing larger pot with a tomato cage for support ever since. It has grown really well over the years, with many long worm - like vining growths that I have taken cuttings of many times.

Recently, in my pursuit of collecting FL natives, I began looking for our other native leafless Vanilla species, Vanilla dilloniana. In comparing photos of the two species, the flowers are quite different, but the plants themselves usually look almost identical to my eyes. Some pictures seemed to show V. dilloniana as a bit thinner and with an orange/red/brown tint to the stem, whereas barbellata is definitely green.

I had seen a few V. dilloniana on eBay, but from the photos, the plants look the same as V. barbellata and I didn't want to spend money, only to get another barbellata plant, which I have a bunch of! I finally ordered a 'Vanilla dilloniana' anyways and it arrived today. It indeed looks the same as my barbellata. I will post photos shortly. Are these species actually that morphologically similar that the plants look basically the same? Any experts on here that can identify differences in the two species (besides the flowers)?

Ken Cameron at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, works on the the phylogeny and already made changes to the classification with DNA. I'd say he's the reference right now. I don't have his book where I am currently but will have next week.

On the checklist of monocots, they are separated, but the works of Ken are not consensual yet so not in the WCSP.