Catasetum purum is found in Brazil, from southern Bahia State into Espírito Santo State. It grows on dead trees in dry conditions much of the year.
Catasetum purum also called as The One-Colored Catasetum, Catachaetum purum, Catachaetum semiaptertum, Catasetum immaculatum, Catasetum inapterum, Catasetum semiapterum, is a species of the genus Catasetum. This species was described by Christian Gottfried Daniel Nees von Esenbeck & Sinning in 1824.
IDENTIFY CATASETUM PURUM ORCHID PLANT
Catasetum purum is found in Brazil, from southern Bahia State into Espírito Santo State. It grows on dead trees in dry conditions much of the year.
It is a large sized, warm to hot growing epiphytic species with fusiform to subconical, to 25 cm long and 4.5 cm wide pseudobulbs that become sulcate with age and carrying medium green, oblanceolate, plicate, to 50 cm long and 10 cm wide leaves.
The One-Colored Catasetum blooms in the summer and fall on a basal, erect, 45 cm long, racemose, several flowered inflorescence arising on a mature or half mature pseudobulb carrying fragrant flowers. The male flowers are 30 x 28 mm in their natural position with coloration light green without spotting; lip darker green; column lighter green. The female flowers are not seen.
This species is similar to Catasetum hookeri, but the midlobe of the lip is abruptly incurved at the base, the apex is recurred, and the margins of the lateral lobes have hairs or deep serrations, and tend to converge or in some cases even touch, giving the sac opening a distinctly kidney-shaped appearance. Also very close to Catasetum uncatum, from which it is distinguished by its antennae, which are not visible projecting beyond the midlobe of the lip into the opening formed by the lateral lobes, and by its short and rounded midlobe, and wider lip.
CATASETUM PURUM 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 purum 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:
Their climate is tropical to subtropical, with dry, near desert-like conditions. It has an even longer dry season and low humidity almost year-round. Most of the moisture results from nighttime dews. Temperatures range from a maximum 40°C to a minimum 15°C. In cultivation, 18°C is the ideal minimum night temperature.
Humidity:
The One-Colored 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 purum 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. This plant can also mounted on wood. This option presupposes that the plant is sufficiently strong, that it is not so large as to be unwieldy when hanging from its mount, that the grower can provide adequate humidity for it during the growing season, that the conversion to mounting is done at the very beginning of the growth cycle, and that the species is known to adapt readily to this cultural practice.
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. Mounted, 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:
Catasetum purum needs a lengthy dormant period while it is leafless. When the 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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