Leptotes bicolor

Leptotes bicolor is a species of orchid native to Paraguay and southern Brazil.^[1] It is the type species of the genus Leptotes. Its flowers and fruits are used as a substitute for vanilla in milk and ice cream.

Leptotes bicolor
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Orchidaceae
Subfamily:	Epidendroideae
Genus:	Leptotes
Species:	L. bicolor
Binomial name
Leptotes bicolor Lindl.
Synonyms
Tetramicra bicolor (Lindl.) Rolfe Leptotes serrulata Lindl. Leptotes glaucophylla Hoffmanns. Tetramicra serrulata (Lindl.) G. Nicholson

It grows in cooler climates than vanilla, as its distribution occupies regions more distant from the equator. It contains vanillin, the main compound of the extract of the vanilla.^[2] It is grown as an ornamental plant.

Description

Leptotes bicolor is a miniature sized epiphyte. The pseudobulbs are terete and the fragrant flowers are borne in groups of 1-3 and are mostly white with a prominent purple patch on the labellum.^[3]