Catasetum vinaceum is found in Brazil, Mato Grosso State, in the forests along the Sepotuba River and tributaries of the Paraguay River; also in Mato Grosso do Sul State, in the forests adjacent to the Coxim and Taquari Rivers. It grows in trees along rivers and creeks.
Catasetum vinaceum also called as The Wine Red Catasetum (refers to the flower color of some clones), Catasetum taquariense, Catasetum taquariense var. album, Catasetum trulla var. vinaceum, Catasetum vinaceum f. album, Catasetum vinaceum var. album, Catasetum vinaceum var. splendidum, is a species of the genus Catasetum. This species was described by Frederico Carlos Hoehne in 1942.
IDENTIFY CATASETUM VINACEUM ORCHID PLANT
Catasetum vinaceum is found in Brazil, Mato Grosso State, in the forests along the Sepotuba River and tributaries of the Paraguay River; also in Mato Grosso do Sul State, in the forests adjacent to the Coxim and Taquari Rivers. It grows in trees along rivers and creeks.
It is a small sized, hot growing epiphyte with narrowly ovoid, to 7 cm long and 2.5 cm wide pseudobulbs carrying membraneous, elliptic, acuminate, attenuate basally, plicate, 3 nerved, to 28 cm long and 7 cm wide leaves.
The Wine Red Catasetum blooms in the spring on a basal, erect, glabrous, 5 to 14 flowered, racemose inflorescence with 3 membraneous, obliquely truncate, narrowly triangular, bracts and carrying resupinate flowers. The male flowers are 45 x 60 mm in their natural position with coloration of peduncle and pedicels green; sepals and petals pale green; margins of lateral lobes yellow; apex of midlobe increasingly pale yellow; lip cavity orange; column pale green; antennae yellow-orange. The female flowers are not seen.
Two varieties have been described: var. album (green sepals and petals and a mostly white lip) and var. splendidum (green sepals and petals and a bright yellow lip).
The flowers are quite similar to, and the plants vegetatively indistinguishable from, Catasetum trulla and Catasetum spitzii. Lip shape always the same. All that varies is the coloration, from white to yellow, red, and stripes of these colors. Approximately 35 percent of the plants of this species found in nature bear white flowers.
CATASETUM VINACEUM 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 vinaceum are sun-loving plant and needs a light level of 30000-60000 lux. The plant needs strong light for best flower production, so grow in nearly full sunlight.
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:
The Wine Red 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 vinaceum can be potted, but in a net or clay pot if a conventional mix is used. This plant can also be mounted or grown in a basket. 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:
The 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 vinaceum 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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