Orchid Safari Presentation 7/28/98
Catasetum Kunth
SUBFAMILY Epidendroideae, TRIBE Gongoreae, SUBTRIBE Catasetinae.
There are 70 species spread from Mexico to Argentina and the West Indies of
this fleshy pseudobulb with eight to twelve deciduous leaves. The
inflorescence starts at the base of the pseudobulbs and may be erect or
pendulous with male or female flowers .
The male flowers are characterized with the ability to eject their pollina
up to eight feet from the plant. A good photo of the differences between the
two sex's flowers can be seen here.
PLEASE NO PLANTS UNDER THE AGE OF 21! as these photos are explicit. The female
flower can be seen with the male pollina in it's stigmatic cavity[see#1 in
photo]. The male flower in the upper right of the picture shows that it has
ejected it's pollina [see#2 in photo], first in that it is missing it's
pollinarium and second by the limp colorless look of the flower in general as
compared to the flower below [see #3 in photo].
The next photo that can be seen shows a dried female flower[See #2 in photo]
1 day after a successful encounter with a male pollina, next to a
non-impregnated flower [see#3 in photo]. Note the swollen ovary
[#1 in the photo] which is actually the stem of the flower. Here is where
the seed will develop and in 3-4 months the seed will be mature and the
capsule will dry and break open spilling the seed to the wind.
Catasetum are warm to intermediate plants that need a decided rest after
blooming, or as the leaves drop, in fact I take the bulbs and cut off all
the roots and put them in a small pot with no medium. I keep them humid but
they get no direct water or fertilizer until the new growth reachs an inch
or two, I then repot them in solite, an expanded shale, and fertilize weekly
and water daily. The more light you give them [2-3 hours direct sun in the
morning for me]the more likely to get the more interesting male flowers, the
less light given then female flowers will occur [ less than 2 hours].
on to:
Stanhopea Frost ex Hooker
SUBFAMILY Epidendroideae, TRIBE Gongoreae, SUBTRIBE Stanhopeinae.
From Mexico to Brazil this genus is hard to beat for it's size and
beautiful odd complexity, and there are 55 different ways that nature came
up with presenting it to us. The ovoid dark green pseudobulbs with a single
apical, heavily veined, petiolate leaf give rise to a inflorescence from the
bottom of the pseudobulb and grows directly downward and for this reason
they must be cultivated in a wire basket. The 1 to many flowered
inflorescence has a heavy mostly pleasing fragrance that can fill a house
with it's scent for days.
The parts of the Stanhopea Flower are shown here. The column {#1},
petals {#2}, epichile {#3}, Mesochile {#4}, hypochile {5}, horn {#6},
and the pedicel {#7}.
Stanhopea have extremely fragrant flowers
and mimic insects or birds in their flowers form, note the bee-like lower appendages or also
humminbird-like form in the photo. The mimicry is the hopes of persuading a bee or bird to approach and
perchance to bump against the anther cap on
the column so that the pollina can be flipped onto the insects or bird's back or head. The next photo,
although not of a Stanhopea, clearly shows the anther cap[#3] and the pollina [#2]flipped out of the end of the
column[#4] so as to be picked up with the sticy viscidium at the base of the pollina[#1] in photo.
Then this same
insect must bumble
about another flower and scrape the pollina off it's back in the stigmatic cavity.
The pollina when introduced to the stigmatic cavity immediately is absorbed
by the walls of the cavity
and within 24 hours the flower will have caved in allowing the pedicil
which is also the ovary to swell as
the seed begins to develop.
Stanhopea must be grown in wire baskets to provide for the pendant spike
that pushes through the loose but medium draining medium, I use sphagnum
mixed with OFE special #1. They like moderate shade, warm to intermediate
conditions and humid well watered conditions and require no real rest. I
fertilize them weekly year round, I do
water a bit less in the winter because we here in Key west get a bit cooler.
Coryanthes Hooker
SUBFAMILY Epidendroideae, TRIBE Gongoreae, SUBTRIBE Stanhopeinae.
Coryanthes which are often
found in association with fire ants, who keep their growing site extremely
acidic, is actually pollinated by a Hymenopterous insect which is
attracted to the odor of the excretions that the bucket like labellum
[#10}or pouch holds.
The fluid is dripped from the faucet gland [#2] into the labellum and the
insect becomes interested and lands on the edge of the fleshy, waxy
labellum driven by the intoxicating scent the insect crawls over the edge
and is plunged into the gooey secretions from the faucet glands. Swimming
to escape, the only exit is through the [#9] stigmatic cavity where the
male pollina and the female stigma are located. Only one type of insect
fits the keyhole through the cavity first passing the stigma and then pick
up the male pollina. After getting out of the flower they can dry off on
the lip off the exit, but the Coryanthes needs that same insect to get up
and do it again to leave the pollina in the stigmatic cavity. Some life
the bug leads!
The parts of the Coryanthes are, the epichile {#1}, faucet gland {#2},
mesochile {#3}, hypochile {#4}, pedicel {#5}, lateral sepals {#6},
dorsal sepal {#7}, petals {#8}, entrance to the stigmatic cavity {#9},
and the pouch like bucket or labellum{#10}.
The flower bud of Coryanthes is quite interesting and has the appearance of
the man in the moon or of a human fetus.
Am I boring Ya all or should I go on?
Coryanthes like an acid mix so I use sphagnum although I hear Palco, a
redwood bark derivitive is very good to use. They like bright light
[2-3 hours direct morning sun for me], good humidity, a rest from frequent
waterings after flowering or with leaf drop with less fertilizer as well.
I do have to repot every two years with sphagnum as it seems to deteriorate
quickly here, and it is best done as a new lead is appearing in the spring.
I will now open it up to you all. Got any questions?