Catasetum laminatum is found in Mexico, in the states of Oaxaca, Guerrero, and Michoacán. It grows at medium altitudes in deciduous forest in the Sierra Madre del Sur and at low altitudes in deciduous jungle. The climate is warm and dry in winter and spring, with heavy rainfall from May through October. The rainy and dry seasons are almost equally long.
Catasetum laminatum also called as The Scaled Catasetum, Catasetum laminatum var. eburneum, Catasetum laminatum var. maculatum, is a species of the genus Catasetum. This species was described by John Lindley in 1840.
IDENTIFY CATASETUM LAMINATUM ORCHID PLANT
Catasetum laminatum is found in Mexico, in the states of Oaxaca, Guerrero, and Michoacán. It grows at medium altitudes in deciduous forest in the Sierra Madre del Sur and at low altitudes in deciduous jungle. The climate is warm and dry in winter and spring, with heavy rainfall from May through October. The rainy and dry seasons are almost equally long.
It is a medium sized, hot to warm growing, epiphytic species with fusiform, sometimes slightly curved, to 20 cm long and 3.5 cm wide pseudobulbs covered by leaf sheaths which become whitish and papery when old that have 10, linear-oblanceolate, medium green, with 3 prominent veins, to 38 cm long and 8 cm wide leaves.
The Scaled Catasetum blooms in the summer on a basal or lateral (from within a brown leaf sheath), erect, several flowered, racemose inflorescence arising on a newly forming pseudobulb. The male flowers are 80 × 90 mm in their natural position with coloration of peduncle and pedicels green to purple-brown; sepals and petals olive green with purple-brown spotting that is denser on the sepals; lip glossy green-white with larger and more pronounced spots of the same purple-brown color; column light green, also spotted. The non-resupinate female flowers (lip uppermost)are green with lip hood-shaped, column short and fleshy, lacking antennae.
The key to identify this species is its lip callosity long, raised, and ridged. Differs from the raised, flat lip callosity of Catasetum tabulare with which it is sometimes compared. The var. eburneum has reddish flowers with an ivory-colored lip and var. maculatum with all floral parts spotted with red to purple-brown.
CATASETUM LAMINATUM 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 laminatum are sun-loving plant and needs a light level of 30000-60000 lux. Unless the strong air movement found in the natural habitat can be duplicated, however, the grower should provide some shade (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,. 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 Scaled 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 laminatum 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. If potted, the pot should be suspended to accommodate the pendent inflorescences.
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:
Although the dry and rainy seasons are approximately equal in length in the wild, it is desirable to maintain a watering schedule, albeit reduced, during dormancy.
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