Catasetum rooseveltianum is found in Brazil, Mato Grosso State, in the Mata da Poaia area on the slopes of the Serra dos Parecis, and near the town of Costa Rica in Mato Grosso do Sul State. It grows on palm trees, sometimes forming dense clumps, along the flooded banks of small rivers.
Catasetum rooseveltianum also called as Roosevelt's Catasetum, is a species of the genus Catasetum. This species was described by Frederico Carlos Hoehne in 1916.
IDENTIFY CATASETUM ROOSEVELTIANUM ORCHID PLANT
Catasetum rooseveltianum is found in Brazil, Mato Grosso State, in the Mata da Poaia area on the slopes of the Serra dos Parecis, and near the town of Costa Rica in Mato Grosso do Sul State. It grows on palm trees, sometimes forming dense clumps, along the flooded banks of small rivers.
It is a medium sized, hot growing epiphytic species with fusiform, some curved, to 16 cm long and 2.5 cm wide (to 30 cm long in other clones) pseudobulbs carrying linear-lanceolate, plicate, to 35 cm long and 7 cm wide leaves.
Roosevelt's Catasetum blooms in the fall and early winter on a basal, erect to pendant, 20 cm long, racemose, 6 flowered inflorescence arising on leafless mature pseudobulbs. The male flowers are 40 x 30 mm in their natural position with coloration of sepals and petals cream-colored, the right petal with a longitudinal line of red-brown spotting; lip green outside, yellow-ocher inside with transverse lines of red-brown spotting; deeper, more solid red-brown color toward the apex inside the lip and on the apex of the column; antennae so transparent that they are difficult to see. The female flowers are not seen.
This species is distinguished by the boat-shaped form and position of the lip, which in flowers of both sexes is held uppermost and is very fleshy. Male and female flowers appeared on the same plant but never on the same inflorescence and never both in the same year.
CATASETUM ROOSEVELTIANUM 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 rooseveltianum 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 (20 % 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:
The climate in their natural habitat is essentially continental. The dry season is long and the humidity is very low throughout much of the year. Days are hot and dry, while nights are fairly cool. The terrain is typically tropical to subtropical savannah country, with the surface soil shallow and incapable of sustaining large trees. Temperatures range from a maximum 40°C to a minimum 10°C. In cultivation, 18°C is the ideal minimum night temperature.
Humidity:
Roosevelt's 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 rooseveltianum is considered difficult to grow, and justifiably so for those accustomed to potting their catasetums in conventional mixes. Although it is impossible to duplicate its natural habitat mounted on a palm tree, half hidden in its leafy fronds, with the pseudobulbs hanging nearly vertical, certain aspects of its natural inclinations can be simulated, namely, a fairly shaded situation, an airy environment, not too much water, and pseudobulbs often arching downward. This plant can be mounted inside perforated PVC pipe or on wood, hung from the bottom of a wooden basket, or potted in a tilted pot filled with extremely coarse wood chips, bark, or charcoal.
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:
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:
When the Catasetum rooseveltianum 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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