Catasetum fimbriatum is found Brazil, states of São Paulo, Santa Catarina, Paraná, Rio de Janeiro, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Goiás, Tocantins, and Minas Gerais. They are also be found in Paraguay, Uruguay, northern Argentina near the Brazilian border, and northeastern Bolivia. It frequently grows on palm trees, but on other (even rough-barked) trees as well at elevations below 800 meters above sea level.
Catasetum fimbriatum also called as The Fringed Catasetum, Catasetum cogniauxii, Catasetum fimbriatum var. aurantiacum, Catasetum fimbriatum var. brevipetalum, Catasetum fimbriatum var fissum, Catasetum fimbriatum var inconstans, Catasetum fimbriatum var. micranthum, Catasetum fimbriatum var morrenianum, Catasetum fimbriatum var ornithorhynchum, Catasetum fimbriatum var. platypterum, Catasetum fimbriatum var. subtropicale, Catasetum fimbriatum var. viridulum, Catasetum inconstans, Catasetum negrense, Catasetum orinthorrhynchum, Catasetum pflanzii, Catasetum wredeanum, Myanthus fimbriatus, is a species of the genus Catasetum. This species was described by John Lindley in 1850.
IDENTIFY CATASETUM FIMBRIATUM ORCHID PLANT
Catasetum fimbriatum is found Brazil, states of São Paulo, Santa Catarina, Paraná, Rio de Janeiro, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Goiás, Tocantins, and Minas Gerais. They are also be found in Paraguay, Uruguay, northern Argentina near the Brazilian border, and northeastern Bolivia. It frequently grows on palm trees, but on other (even rough-barked) trees as well at elevations below 800 meters above sea level.
It is a large sized, hot to warm growing epiphyte with conical-fusiform, several-noded, 12 cm long and 5 cm wide pseudobulbs subtended by several leaf bearing sheaths carrying several, oblong-ligulate, submembraneous, acute, to 48 cm long and 8.5 cm wide leaves.
The Fringed Catasetum blooms in the late spring and summer on a basal, pendant, 45 cm long, racemose inflorescence arising on a mature pseudobulb and has 7 to 15 loosely arranged, fleshy, very spicily fragrant flowers. The male flowers are 52 x 70 mm with coloration of peduncle and pedicels light green; sepals green with red-brown spotting; petals lighter green with larger and more conspicuous spots; midlobe deep yellow; lip margins chartreuse; column green-white, with minute spotting, mostly on the outside; other clones are highly variable, ranging from light green and yellow-green to brown, orange, and yellow. The female flowers are with coloration green, with sepals heavily spotted with red-brown and petals spotted more on the margins toward the base.
The lip is highly variable, and the showiest part of the flower and most critical to identification. Lip firmly attached to the base of the column, indistinctly trilobed, the lateral lobes erect, and the midlobe with a thick callus (of various configurations) at the base. Margins of the lateral lobes fringed, those of the midlobe even more so; fringes from short to more than 8 mm long. Flower color varies considerably, but the column is usually white or whitish. The pseudobulbs can be massive, and the male inflorescences are first ascending, then arching and pendent, to position the flowers to facilitate entry by the bee pollinators.
Some varieties: var. fissum (very showy flowers, with 2 or 3 layers of fringes), var. inconstans (highly variable in form, lip without fringes but margins very thick), var. morrenianum (without fringes but lip margins sharply toothed, a swelling in the center, generally yellow), and var. ornithorrhynchum (a highly ornamental variety with finger-like fringes, a large pointed callus in the middle of the lip, and more yellow color). Other varieties mentioned in the literature are var. aurantiacum, var. brevipetalum, var. callosum, var. cogniauxii, var. micranthum, var. platypterum, var. subtropicaleum, and var. viridulum. A bright red variety ornatissimum is known in Brazil.
CATASETUM FIMBRIATUM ORCHID PLANT CARE AND CULTURE
Cultural information should only be used as a guide, and should be to be adapted to suit you. Your physical location; where you grow your plants, how much time you have to devote to their care, and many other factors, will need to be taken into account. Only then can you decide on the cultural methods that best suit you and your plants.
Light:
Catasetum fimbriatum are sun-loving plant and needs a light level of 30000-60000 lux. To produce male flowers the plant must be grow in 40-60% shade. This species can be grown under lights if sufficient light intensity can be provided, and the plant certainly can be summered outdoors if their moisture requirements can be met.
Temperature:
In their natural habitat, the climate is evenly hot, moist, and tropical. This climate is almost the same year-round, with high humidity at night, even in the dry season, which is relatively short. The nighttime temperatures rarely fall below 18°C, with daytime highs generally from 29 to 35°C. The important thing is to maintain evenly warm conditions, and for this orchid the closer the night minimum is to 21°C, the better the plants will respond.
Humidity:
The Fringed Catasetum tolerate an environment with 40 - 60 % relative humidity during their growing season, but for optimal development of new growth and flowering, 70 % is recommended.
Substrate, growing media and repotting:
Catasetum fimbriatum can be grown in pot, container or wooden basket with fir bark, osmunda, tree fern fiber, charcoal, and sphagnum, in various proportions or combined with still other ingredients such as sponge rock, perlite, leaf mold, peat, and bark screenings as substrate.
It is recommended to repot every year and never wait more than two years. The optimal time for potting or repotting is when new growth on a plant emerging from dormancy is about 5 cm tall and the nubs have developed into new roots that are reaching for support.
Watering:
In its natural habitat it receives rainfall frequently even while dormant. Basket-grown, and unconventionally potted plant may be watered every sunny day during the growing season, provided conditions are such that they dry off relatively quickly. In the case of conventionally potted adult plants, it should not be necessary to water more than once or, at most, twice a week. This species like to dry out at least slightly between waterings.
Fertilizer:
Fertilize with an appropriate formulation at least every week during the growing season, or fertilize with a weak formula every time the plants are watered. It is important to begin regular applications of high-nitrogen fertilizer (such as 10-5-5) with a full range of trace elements. As the leaves begin to unfurl, and well before flowering, add a high-phosphorus formula to develop big, strong pseudobulbs capable of producing robust inflorescences. Any of the soluble products with a large second-digit number (for example, 3-12-6) constitute a good source of phosphorus.
Rest period:
When the Catasetum fimbriatum plants are leafless and no new growths are visible, the grower must respect their state of dormancy. Watering frequency should be reduced during dormancy. Fertilization should stop completely during this period. In the springtime, at the beginning of the growth cycle, water should not be made regularly available for the newly developing roots until the new growth is at least 5 cm tall.
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