Catasetum
(pronounced: kat-ah-SEE-tum)
Classification
Cymbidieae subtribe Catasetinae
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Overview
Caespitose monoecious epiphytes, lithophytes or terrestrials. Pseudobulbs spindle-shaped, fibrous, rooting at the base. Leaves several, plicate, distichous, deciduous. Inflorescences erect to pendent basal pedunculate racemes, the floral bracts inconspicuous. Flowers unisexual (usually non-functional when hermaphroditic), dimorphic; the pistillate (“female”) flowers similar throughout the genus, not resupinate, green, with a rigid helmet-like lip; staminate (“male”) flowers highly variable, resupinate or not resupinate, the lip helmet-like to flat, variously lobed and ornamented. Sepals and petals free, spreading, the petals often erect and subparallel with the dorsal sepal. Lip unlobed or three-lobed, saccate, globose to flat, sessile. Column erect, without wings or foot, with a pair of antennae-like triggers, the anther with a terminal beak; pollinia 2, on a common linear stipe and a large viscidium with copious glue.
Etymology
From the Greek kata, meaning down, and the Latin seta, meaning bristle, referring to the pair of trigger antennae in the staminate flowers.
Distribution
A genus of about 100 species distributed throughout the Neotropics from Mexico to Bolivia. The genera Clowesia and Dressleria were previously included in a more broadly defined Catasetum. Catasetum is divided into two subgenera, subg. Catasetum and subg.
Care and Culture Card
See basic growing conditions and care information below.
Catasetums are cyclic and notoriously heavy feeders during active growth. Not particular about their growing medium, place them in pots or baskets in very bright light. Give them abundant water and frequent dilute fertilizer after the new shoots have emerged and the roots have grown to more than 1 in. (2.5 cm). Premature fertilizing can burn young root tips. Some growers supplement standard liquid fertilizer with additional time-release fertilizer and organics (fish emulsion, manure, etc.). After growth and flowering have ceased withhold all water and fertilizer until the next season. Many growers remove the plants from the pots during dormancy and store the pseudobulbs in a drier environment removed from wet greenhouse conditions, repotting them when new growth emerges. When plants of Catasetum are grown in high light, the inflorescences typically bear horticulturally less desirable pistillate (“female”) flowers. When grown under low light, the inflorescences typically bear staminate (“male”) flowers but on relatively weak plants. The best of both worlds can be achieved by growing the plants under high light for maximum photosynthesis and “tricking” the plant into producing staminate flowers by placing a 1 in. (2.5 cm) long, loose-fitting, opaque cap on the emerging inflorescence. This cap will induce the hormonal shift necessary to produce the more desirable staminate flowers. Staminate flowers of Catasetum have an active pollination mechanism. The stipe of the pollinarium is produced early in the development of the column. As the column continues to grow in the bud the stipe is stretched much as one streches a rubberband. Projecting downward from the column are two long antennae-like triggers. When these triggers are touched the pollinarium springs away from the flower with great force. The viscidium of Catasetum bears copious instant-drying glue that attached the pollinarium to whatever triggered the flower. Dislodging the pollinarium causes post-pollination senescence of the flower, most often a reddening of the flower. Because of the often dimorphic flowers and general similarity of the pistillate flowers, the key and the species descriptions refer only to staminate flowers.
Literature
Bedell, B. J. 1927. The floral mechanism of Catasetum macrocarpum Rich. (C. tridentatum Hook.). J. Bot. London 65:304-314. Bennett, D. E., Jr., E. A. Christenson and B. Collantes M. 1999. An emerald Catasetum. Orchids 68(5):476-479. Bicalho, H. D. and F. de Barros 1988. On the taxonomy of Catasetum subsect. Isoceras. Lindleyana 3(2):87-92. Braga, P. I. S. 1994. Orquídeas da Amazônia Brasiliera, III. Bradea 6(35):293-296. Couret, P. 1977. Study on the morphology and pigmentation of Catasetum pileatum Rchb.f. and its natural hybrids. Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 46:200--208. Darwin, C. 1862. On the three remarkable sexual forms of Catasetum tridentatum, an orchid in the possession of the Linnean Society. J. Proc. Linn. Soc. Bot. 6:151-157. Diaz, N. A. 1986. El primer reporte de Catasetum L. C. Rich. (Orchidaceae) para las Antillas: Catasetum cf. integerrimum Hook. Rev. Jardin Bot. Nac. La Habana 6(2):12-19. Dunsterville, G. C. K. 1980. Some Venezuelan Catasetum species. Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 49:5-12. Hills, H. G., N. H. Williams and C. H. Dodson 1972. Floral fragrances and isolating mechanisms in the genus Catasetum (Orchidaceae). Biotropica 4:61-76. Janzen, D. H. 1981. Bee arrival at two Costa Rican female Catasetum orchid inflorescences, and a hypothesis on euglossine population structure. Oikos 36: 177-183. Jenny, R. 1991. Catasetum tabulare Lindl. 1844. Die Orchidee 42(2): Orchideenkartei seite 637-638. Jenny, R. 1991. Catasetum sanguineum Lindl. & Paxton 1854. Die Orchidee 42(2): Orchideenkartei Seite 639-640. Lacerda, K. G. de, Jr. 1998. Catasetum galeatum Lacerda sp. nov. Bradea 8(16):85-88. Lacerda, K. G. de, Jr. 1998. Estudos em Catasetinae (Orchidaceae), Complexo cristatum Lindl., 1. Bradea 8(16):88-96. Lacerda, K. G. de, Jr. 2000. Catasetum lanciferum Lindl., eine bekannte Art mit verschollenem Namen. Die Orchidee 51(5):[069]-[073]. Lacerda, K. G. de, Jr. and V. P. Castro N. 1995. Catasetum osculatum Lacerda & P. Castro sp. nov. Bradea 6(44):381-388. Lacerda, K. G. de, Jr. and J. B. Fernandez da Silva 1998. Catasetum maranhense Lacerda & da Silva sp. nov. Bradea 8(13):69-71. Mansfeld, R. 1932. Die Gattung Catasetum L. C. Rich. Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 30:257-275. Mansfeld, R. 1933. Die Gattung Catasetum L. C. Rich. Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 31:99-125. Miranda, F. E. and K. G. de Lacerda, Jr. 1992. Estudos em Catasetinae (Orchidaceae), 1. Bradea 6(7):45-60. Miranda, F. E. and K. G. de Lacerda, Jr. 1992. Estudos em Catasetinae (Orchidaceae), 2. Bradea 6(14):122-132. Romero, G. A. and G. Carnevali 1989. A new combination for the orchid flora of southern Venezuela: Catasetum ? tapiriceps Reichb. f. (pro sp.). Lindleyana 4:127-134. Romero, G. A.and G. Carnevali 1991. Catasetum natural hybrids from southern Venezuela, 2. Catasetum xdunstervillei G. Romero & Carnevali. Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 60:115-120. Romero, G. A. and G. Carnevali 1991. Catasetum natural hybrids from southern Venezuela, 3. Catasetum ? roseo-album (Hook.) Lindley and C. x wendlingeri Foldats. Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 60(8):770-774. Romero, G. A. and R. Jenny 1995. Contributions towards a monograph of Catasetum (Catasetinae, Orchidaceae) I: a checklist of species, varieties, and natural hybrids. Harvard Pap. Bot. 4:59-84. Senghas, K. 1990. Einige neue Arten aus der Subtribus Catasetinae I. Catasetum sektion Anisoceras. Die Orchidee 41(6):212-218. Senghas, K. 1991. Einige neue Arten aus der Subtribus Catasetinae II. Catasetum sektion Isoceras (Teil 1). Die Orchidee 42(1):19-24. Senghas, K. 1991. Einige neue Arten aus der Subtribus Catasetinae II. Catasetum sektion Isoceras (Teil 2). Die Orchidee 42(2):60-64. Silva, M. F. F. da and A. T. de Oliveira 1998. Catasetum cucullatum, uma nova espécie de Orchidaceae para o estado do Amazonas, Brasil. Bol. Mus. Para. Emilio Goeldi, sér. Bot. 14(1):63-67. Teuscher, H. 1957. Catasetum platyglossum Schlechter. Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 26:630-633. Vásquez Ch., R. and C. H. Dodson 1997. Doe nuevas especies de Catasetum (Orchidaceae) del Parque Nacional Noel Kempff M. (Santa Cruz, Bolivia). Rev. Soc. Boliviana Bot. 1(2):1-8. Zimmerman, J. K. 1990. Role of pseudobulbs in growth and flowering of Catasetum viridiflavum (Orchidaceae). Amer. J. Bot. 77:533-542. Zimmerman, J. K. 1991. Ecological correlates of labile sex expression in the orchid Catasetum viridiflavum. Ecology 72(2):597-608. Zimmerman, J. K. and J. R. Ehleringer 1990. Carbon isotope ratios are correlated with irradiance levels in the Panamanian orchid Catasetum viridiflavum. Oecologia 83:247-249.
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