Catasetum

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Catasetum
Catasetum-saccatum.jpg
Catasetum saccatum
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Epidendroideae
Tribe: Cymbidieae
Subtribe: Catasetinae
Genus: Catasetum
Rich. ex Kunth
Type species
Catasetum macrocarpum
Synonyms [1]
  • CatachaetumHoffmanns.
  • CuculinaRaf.
  • MonachanthusLindl.
  • MyanthusLindl.

Catasetum, abbreviated as Ctsm. in horticultural trade, is a genus of showy epiphytic Orchids, family Orchidaceae, subfamily Epidendroideae, tribe Cymbidieae, subtribe Catasetinae, with currently 200 accepted species [2] , many of which are highly prized in horticulture.

Contents

Species of the genus Catasetum occur from Mexico to Argentina, including much of Central America, the West Indies, and South America. The largest number of species is in Brazil. [1]

Biology

They have thick, cigar-shaped pseudobulbs which are clustered. The leaves are pleated in the upper part and deciduous. The pseudobulbs become spiny after the leaves have dropped.

The inflorescence is borne on the basis. It consists of very fleshy flowers that are unisexual, which is very unusual for orchids. The colorful male and yellowish-green female flowers are typically situated on different plants, a phenomenon known as dioecy. Which type of flower a plant produces is determined by the conditions under which it grows. Male and female flowers are markedly different in size and color. At first, taxonomists even thought they were dealing with different species, a puzzle which Charles Darwin resolved when writing Fertilisation of Orchids . [3] [4] There are rare cases in which a single plant in intermediate conditions will produce both male and female flowers.

Catasetum deltoideum Catasetum deltoideum - fl 1.jpg
Catasetum deltoideum

The male flowers have a remarkable technique for the ejection of the pollinia. Sack-Shaped Catasetum ( Catasetum saccatum ), a tropical South American species, discussed by Darwin, actually launches its viscid pollen sacs with explosive force, when an insect touches a seta. He was ridiculed for reporting this by the naturalist Thomas Huxley. [5]

In habitat, these plants predominantly grow as epiphytes in very wet forests. Species of this genus all host wood-devouring mycorrhizal fungi which supplement the plants' nutrition by breaking down decomposing wood. Most of these species have a prolonged saprophytic stage in decomposing wood as seedlings before developing leaves and photosynthesis. Fungi which break down wood require a nitrogen source since wood is primarily composed solely of hemi-cellulose, cellulose, and lignin and lacks nitrogen, and these plants are heavy feeders with high nitrogen requirements typically.

Many of these species are known to germinate in ant nests high in the canopy and host ant colonies, which provide the plants with an abundant supply of nitrogen, and they also host ants in cultivation frequently. [6] Most of these species are considered moderately difficult to maintain in cultivation without a greenhouse or Wardian case and some of them defy cultivation. Most of them cannot tolerate dryness and some of them have very specific temperature requirements. Some of these species are ant plants and attract ant colonies and can become a nuisance in cultivation.

Catasetum pileatum male flowers. Catasetum pileatum Orchi 088.jpg
Catasetum pileatum male flowers.
Catasetum macrocarpum female flowers. Catasetum macrocarpum female - Flickr 006.jpg
Catasetum macrocarpum female flowers.
Catasetum tenebrosum, male flowers. A and B Larsen orchids - Catasetum tenebrosum 1006-20.jpg
Catasetum tenebrosum, male flowers.
Catasetum tenebrosum, female flowers. A and B Larsen orchids - Catasetum tenebrosum female Dscn3259.jpg
Catasetum tenebrosum, female flowers.

Species

Catasetum saccatum. A and B Larsen orchids - Catasetum saccatum 515-22.jpg
Catasetum saccatum.

Natural hybrids

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  1. Odontadenia anomala(Van Heurck & Müll.Arg.) J.F.Macbr. - Peru, Bolivia
  2. Odontadenia campanulataJ.F.Morales - Colombia
  3. Odontadenia funigeraWoodson - Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil
  4. Odontadenia geminata(Hoffmanns. ex Roem. & Schult.) Müll.Arg. - 3 Guianas, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, N Brazil
  5. Odontadenia glaucaWoodson - Amazonas State in S Venezuela
  6. Odontadenia gracilipes(Stadelm.) Woodson - Minas Gerais
  7. Odontadenia hypoglauca(Stadelm.) Müll.Arg. - Bolivia, Brazil
  8. Odontadenia killipiiWoodson - French Guiana, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, N Brazil
  9. Odontadenia kochiiPilg. - Guyana, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, N Brazil
  10. Odontadenia laxiflora(Rusby) Woodson - Peru, Bolivia, N Brazil
  11. Odontadenia lutea(Vell.) Markgr. - Peru, Bolivia, Brazil
  12. Odontadenia macrantha(Roem. & Schult.) Markgr. - Oaxaca, Chiapas, Central America, Trinidad & Tobago, 3 Guianas, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil
  13. Odontadenia markgrafianaJ.F.Morales - French Guiana, N Brazil
  14. Odontadenia matogrossanaJ.F.Morales - Goiás, Mato Grosso
  15. Odontadenia nitida(Vahl) Müll.Arg. - Trinidad & Tobago, 3 Guianas, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Bolivia
  16. Odontadenia perrottetii(A.DC.) Woodson - Venezuela, Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia, Guyana, French Guiana
  17. Odontadenia polyneura(Urb.) Woodson - Hispaniola
  18. Odontadenia puncticulosa(Rich.) Pulle - Central America, 3 Guianas, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Bolivia
  19. Odontadenia stemmadeniifoliaWoodson - Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil
  20. Odontadenia verrucosa(Willd. ex Roem. & Schult.) K.Schum. ex Markgr. - 3 Guianas, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Bolivia, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua
  1. Odontadenia cuspidataRusby = Mandevilla cuspidata(Rusby) Woodson
  2. Odontadenia duckeiMarkgr. = Mandevilla pohliana(Stadelm.) A.H.Gentry
  3. Odontadenia glandulosa(Ruiz & Pav.) K.Schum. = Mandevilla glandulosa(Ruiz & Pav.) Woodson
  4. Odontadenia macrocalyx(Müll.Arg.) Miers = Tabernaemontana macrocalyxMüll.Arg.

References

  1. 1 2 Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
  2. ↑ "Catasetum Rich. ex Kunth | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 2024-03-29.
  3. ↑ Letter 3340 – Darwin, C. R. to Oliver, Daniel, 7 Dec (1861), Darwin Correspondence Project, retrieved 2012-09-28
  4. ↑ Letter 3407 – Rogers, John (a) to Darwin, C. R., 22 Jan 1862, Darwin Correspondence Project, archived from the original on 1 September 2007, retrieved 2012-09-28
  5. ↑ Desmond, Adrian; Moore, James (1991), Darwin, London: Michael Joseph, Penguin Group, ISBN   0-7181-3430-3 page 510.
  6. ↑ The Orchids, Natural History and Classification, Robert L. Dressler. ISBN   0-674-87526-5

Further reading

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