Catasetum, abbreviated as Ctsm in horticultural trade, is a genus

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 of the Orchid family (Orchidaceae

Orchidaceae

The Orchidaceae, commonly referred to as the orchid family, is a morphologically diverse and widespread family of monocots in the order Asparagales. Along with the Asteraceae, it is one of the two largest families of flowering plants, with between 21,950 and 26,049 currently accepted species,...

), subfamily Epidendroideae

Epidendroideae

In plant systematics Epidendroideae is a subfamily of the orchid family, Orchidaceae. Epidendroideae is larger than all the other orchid subfamilies together, comprising more than 15,000 species in 576 genera. Most Epidendroid orchids are tropical epiphytes, typically with pseudobulbs...

, tribe Cymbidieae, subtribe Catasetinae, with 166 species.

Species of the genus Catasetum occur from Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

 to tropical America, with the majority in Brazil

Brazil

Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

.

They have thick, cigar-shaped pseudobulb

Pseudobulb

The pseudobulb is a storage organ derived from the part of a stem between two leaf nodes.It applies to the orchid family , specifically certain groups of epiphytic orchids, and may be single or composed of several internodes with evergreen or deciduous leaves along its length.In some species, it is...

s which are clustered. The leaves

Leaf

A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....

 are pleated in the upper part and deciduous. The pseudobulbs become spiny after the leaves have dropped.

The inflorescence

Inflorescence

An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...

 is borne on the basis. It consists of very fleshy flower

Flower

A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...

s that are unisexual, which is exceptional for orchids. The colorful male and yellowish-green female flowers are typically situated on different plants. Which type of flower a plant produces is determined by the conditions under which it grows. There are rare cases in which a single plant in intermediate conditions will produce both male and female flowers. These flowers are markedly different in size and color. At first, taxonomists even thought they were dealing with different species.

The male flowers have a remarkable technique for the ejection of the pollinia

Pollinium

Pollinium, or plural pollinia, is a coherent mass of pollen grains in a plant.They are the product of only one anther, but are transferred, during pollination, as a single unit. This is regularly seen in plants such as orchids and many species of milkweeds .Most orchids have waxy pollinia...

. Sack-Shaped Catasetum (Catasetum saccatum

Catasetum saccatum

Catasetum saccatum, the Sack-shaped Catasetum, is a species of orchid....

), a tropical South American species, discussed briefly by Darwin

Charles Darwin

Charles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory...

, actually launches its viscid pollen sacs with explosive force, when an insect touches a seta

Seta

Seta is a biological term derived from the Latin word for "bristle". It refers to a number of different bristle- or hair-like structures on living organisms.-Animal setae:In zoology, most "setae" occur in invertebrates....

. He was ridiculed for reporting this by the naturalist Thomas Huxley

Thomas Huxley

Thomas Henry Huxley PC FRS was an English biologist, known as "Darwin's Bulldog" for his advocacy of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution....

  {Desmond, Adrian; Moore, James (1991), Darwin, London: Michael Joseph, Penguin Group, ISBN 0-7181-3430-3 page 510}.

Species

• Catasetum aculeatum (Brazil)
• Catasetum adremedium (Peru)
• Catasetum alatum (Brazil)
• Catasetum albovirens (Brazil)
• Catasetum albuquerquei (Brazil)
• Catasetum apertum
• Catasetum arachnoideum (N. Brazil).
• Catasetum arietinum (Brazil).
• Catasetum aripuanense (Brazil).
• Catasetum ariquemense (Brazil)
  • Catasetum ariquemense var. ariquemense (Brazil). Pseudobulb, epiphyte
  • Catasetum ariquemense var. viride (Brazil)
• Catasetum atratum
  Catasetum atratum
  The Lustrous Black Catasetum is a species of orchid....
  
   : Lustrous Black Catasetum (Brazil).
• Catasetum barbatum
  Catasetum barbatum
  The Bearded Catasetum is a species of orchid....
  
   : Bearded Catasetum (Trinidad to S. Trop. America).
• Catasetum bergoldianum (Venezuela).
• Catasetum bicallosum (S. Venezuela).
• Catasetum bicolor : Two-colored Catasetum (Colombia to S. Venezuela)
• Catasetum bifidum (Brazil)
• Catasetum blackii (Brazil)
• Catasetum blepharochilum (Colombia).
• Catasetum boyi (Brazil ).
• Catasetum brichtae (Brazil) .
• Catasetum cabrutae (Venezuela).
• Catasetum callosum
  Catasetum callosum
  The Callous Catasetum is a species of orchid....
  
   : Callused Catasetum (S. Trop. America).
• Catasetum carolinianum (Brazil).
• Catasetum carrenhianum (Brazil).
• Catasetum carunculatum (Peru).
• Catasetum cassideum (SE. Venezuela to N. Brazil).
• Catasetum caucanum (Colombia).
• Catasetum caxarariense (Brazil).
• Catasetum cernuum
  Catasetum cernuum
  The Nodding Catasetum is a species of orchid....
  
   : Nodding Catasetum (Trinidad to Brazil).
• Catasetum charlesworthii (Venezuela).
• Catasetum cirrhaeoides : Cirrhaea-like Cataseum (Brazil).
• Catasetum cochabambanum (Bolivia).
• Catasetum collare (Venezuela to Ecuador and N. Brazil).
• Catasetum colossus (N. Brazil).
• Catasetum complanatum (Brazil) .
• Catasetum confusum : Confused Catasetum (Brazil).
• Catasetum coniforme (Peru).
• Catasetum cotylicheilum (Peru).
• Catasetum crinitum (N. Brazil).
• Catasetum cristatum
  Catasetum cristatum
  The Comb-like Catasetum is a species of orchid....
  
   : Comb-like Catasetum (N. South America to N. Brazil).
• Catasetum cucullatum (Brazil).
• Catasetum decipiens (Venezuela).
• Catasetum deltoideum
  Catasetum deltoideum
  Catasetum deltoideum is a species of orchid....
  
   (Guianas).
• Catasetum denticulatum : Small-toothed Catasetum (Brazil).
• Catasetum discolor
  Catasetum discolor
  The Differently Colored Catasetum is a species of orchid....
  
   : Differently Colored Catasetum (S. Trop. America).

• Catasetum × dunstervillei ( = C. discolor × C. pileatum) (Venezuela).
• Catasetum dupliciscutula (Bolivia).
• Catasetum expansum
  Catasetum expansum
  The Expansive Catasetum is a species of orchid....
  
   : Expansive Catasetum (Ecuador).
• Catasetum fernandezii (Peru).
• Catasetum ferox (S. Venezuela to Brazil).
• Catasetum fimbriatum
  Catasetum fimbriatum
  The Fringed Catasetum is a species of orchid....
  
   : Fringed Catasetum ((S. Trop. America).
• Catasetum finetianum (Colombia).
• Catasetum franchinianum (Brazil).
• Catasetum fuchsii (Bolivia).
• Catasetum galeatum (Brazil).
• Catasetum galeritum
  Catasetum galeritum
  Catasetum galeritum is a species of orchid....
  
   (N. Brazil).
• Catasetum georgii (N. Brazil).
• Catasetum gladiatorium (Brazil)
• Catasetum globiflorum
  Catasetum globiflorum
  The Spheroid-flowered Catasetum is a species of orchid....
  
   : Spheroid-flowered Catasetum (Brazil)
• Catasetum gnomus : Gnome-like Catasetum (S. Venezuela to N. Brazil)
• Catasetum gomezii (Venezuela).
• Catasetum × guianense (= C. longifolium × C. macrocarpum) (Guianas).
• Catasetum hillsii (Peru.
• Catasetum hoehnei (Brazil)
• Catasetum hookeri (Brazil)
• Catasetum incurvum : Bent Catasetum (Ecuador to Peru).
• Catasetum integerrimum
  Catasetum integerrimum
  The Intact Catasetum is a species of orchid....
  
   : Intact Catasetum (Mexico to C. America).
• Catasetum interhomesianum (Bolivia).
• Catasetum × intermedium (Brazil).
• Catasetum × issanensis(= C. longifolium × C. pileatum) (Brazil).
• Catasetum japurense (N. Brazil).
• Catasetum jarae : Jara's Catasetum (Peru).
• Catasetum juruenense : Rio Jurua Catasetum (Brazil).
• Catasetum justinianum (Bolivia).
• Catasetum kempfii (Bolivia).
• Catasetum kleberianum : Kleber's Catasetum (Brazil)
• Catasetum kraenzlinianum (N. Brazil).
• Catasetum laminatum
  Catasetum laminatum
  The Scaled Catasetum is a species of orchid....
  
   : Scaled Catasetum (C. & SW. Mexico).
• Catasetum lanceatum (Brazil) .
• Catasetum lanxiforme (Peru).
• Catasetum lehmannii (Colombia)
• Catasetum lemosii
  Catasetum lemosii
  Catasetum lemosii is a species of orchid....
  
   (N. Brazil).
• Catasetum lindleyanum (Colombia).
• Catasetum linguiferum (N. Brazil).
• Catasetum longifolium
  Catasetum longifolium
  Catasetum longifolium is a species of orchid....
  
   (N. South America to N. Brazil).
• Catasetum longipes (Brazil) .
• Catasetum lucis (Colombia).
• Catasetum luridum
  Catasetum luridum
  The Pale-yellow Catasetum is a species of orchid....
  
   : Pale-yellow Catasetum (Guyana to E. Brazil).
• Catasetum macrocarpum
  Catasetum macrocarpum
  The Large-fruited Catasetum is a species of orchid. It is also known as the Monkey Goblet and Monk's Head Orchid....
  
   : Monkey Goblet, Monkshead Monk's Head Orchid, Large-fruited Catasetum (Trinidad and Tobago to N. Argentina).
• Catasetum macroglossum : Large-lipped Catasetum (Ecuador.
• Catasetum maculatum
  Catasetum maculatum
  The Spotted Catasetum is a species of orchid....
  
   : Spotted Catasetum (C. America to Venezuela).

• Catasetum maranhense (NE. Brazil).
• Catasetum maroaense (Venezuela).
• Catasetum matogrossense (Brazil)
• Catasetum meeae (N. Brazil).
• Catasetum mentosum (N. Brazil).
• Catasetum merchae (Venezuela).
• Catasetum micranthum (Brazil) .
• Catasetum microglossum (Ecuador to Peru).
• Catasetum mojuense (Brazil)
• Catasetum monodon (Brazil
• Catasetum monzonense (Peru).
• Catasetum moorei : Moore's Catasetum (Peru).
• Catasetum multifidum (Brazil).
• Catasetum multifissum (Peru).
• Catasetum nanayanum (Peru).
• Catasetum napoense (Ecuador to Peru).
• Catasetum naso
  Catasetum naso
  The Nose Catasetum is a species of orchid....
  
   : Nose Catasetum (Colombia to Venezuela).
• Catasetum ochraceum : Ochre-yellow Catasetum (Colombia).
• Catasetum ollare (N. Brazil).
• Catasetum ornithoides (N. Brazil).
• Catasetum osakadianum (Brazil).
• Catasetum osculatum (Brazil) .
• Catasetum palmeirinhense (Brazil).
• Catasetum parguazense : Paraguaza River Catasetum (Venezuela).
• Catasetum pendulum : Pendant Catasetum (W. Mexico).
• Catasetum peruvianum (Peru).
• Catasetum pileatum
  Catasetum pileatum
  The Felt-capped Catasetum or Mother of Pearl Flower is a species of orchid....
  
   : Mother of Pearl Flower, Felt-capped Catasetum (Trinidad to Ecuador).
• Catasetum planiceps
  Catasetum planiceps
  Catasetum planiceps is a species of orchid....
  
   (N. South America to Brazil).
• Catasetum platyglossum (Colombia).
• Catasetum pleidactylon (Peru).
• Catasetum × pohlianum(= C. hookeri × C. trulla) (Brazil)
• Catasetum poriferum (Guyana).
• Catasetum pulchrum (Brazil).
• Catasetum punctatum (Brazil).
• Catasetum purum
  Catasetum purum
  The One-colored Catasetum is a species of orchid....
  
   : One-colored Catasetum (Brazil)
• Catasetum purusense (Peru.)
• Catasetum pusillum (Peru)
• Catasetum randii
  Catasetum randii
  Catasetum randii is a species of orchid....
  
   (Brazil).
• Catasetum regnellii (Brazil).
• Catasetum reichenbachianum (N. Brazil).
• Catasetum richteri (Brazil)
• Catasetum ricii (Bolivia).
• Catasetum rigidum (Brazil).
• Catasetum rivularium (Brazil).
• Catasetum rohrii (S. Brazil).
• Catasetum rolfeanum (N. Brazil).
• Catasetum rondonense (Brazil)
• Catasetum rooseveltianum : Roosevelt's Catasetum (Brazil)
• Catasetum × roseoalbum (Guianas).
• Catasetum saccatum
  Catasetum saccatum
  Catasetum saccatum, the Sack-shaped Catasetum, is a species of orchid....
  
   : Sack-Shaped Catasetum (Trop. S. America).
• Catasetum samaniegoi (Ecuador).
• Catasetum sanguineum : Red Catasetum (Colombia to Venezuela).
  • Catasetum sanguineum var. sanguineum (Colombia to Venezuela). Pseudobulb epiphyte
  • Catasetum sanguineum var. viride (Colombia to Venezuela).
• Catasetum schmidtianum : Schmidt's Catasetum (Brazil).
• Catasetum schunkei (Peru).
• Catasetum schweinfurthii (Peru.
• Catasetum seccoi (Brazil).
• Catasetum semicirculatum (Brazil).
• Catasetum socco
  Catasetum socco
  Catasetum socco is a species of orchid....
  
   ((SE. Brazil).
• Catasetum × sodiroi (= C. expansum × C.macroglossum) (Ecuador).
• Catasetum spitzii : Spitz's Catasetum (Brazil).
  • Catasetum spitzii var. album (Brazil). Pseudobulb epiphyte
  • Catasetum spitzii var. christyanum (Brazil). Pseudobulb epiphyte
  • Catasetum spitzii var. sanguineum (Brazil). Pseudobulb epiphyte
  • Catasetum spitzii var. spitzii (Brazil). Pseudobulb epiphyte
• Catasetum splendens (Venezuela to N. Brazil).
• Catasetum stenoglossum (N. Brazil).
• Catasetum stevensonii (Ecuador to Peru).
• Catasetum tabulare : Table-Like Catasetum (Colombia).
• Catasetum taguariense (Brazil).
• Catasetum × tapiriceps (N. Brazil).
• Catasetum taquariense (WC. Brazil).
• Catasetum tenebrosum : Dark-brown Catasetum (Ecuador to Peru).
• Catasetum tenuiglossum (Peru).
• Catasetum thompsonii (Guyana).
• Catasetum tigrinum : Tiger-striped Catasetum (Brazil).
• Catasetum transversicallosum (Peru).
• Catasetum trautmannii (Peru).
• Catasetum tricolor (Guatemala).
• Catasetum tricorne (Colombia).
• Catasetum triodon (S. Brazil).
• Catasetum tuberculatum (Colombia to Peru).
• Catasetum tucuruiense (Brazil).
• Catasetum uncatum (Brazil) .
• Catasetum variabile (Brazil).
• Catasetum vinaceum (WC. Brazil).
  • Catasetum vinaceum var. album (Brazil) Pseudobulb epiphyte
  • Catasetum vinaceum var. splendidum (Brazil). Pseudobulb epiphyte
  • Catasetum vinaceum var. vinaceum (Brazil) . Pseudobulb epiphyte
• Catasetum × violascens : Purple Catasetum (W. South America).
• Catasetum viridiflavum
  Catasetum viridiflavum
  The Green-yellow Catasetum is a species of orchid....
  
  : Green-yellow Catasetum (C. America).
• Catasetum × wendlingeri (Venezuela to Guyana).
• Catasetum yavitaense (Venezuela).

Further reading

• Dressler, Robert L. (1993) : Field guide to the orchids of Costa Rica and Panama, Cornell University Press

External links

• Botanical Garden Munich: One of the most extensive photo collections of Catasetum.