Catasetum expansum

[kavanaru]

that second plant is also very nice!

as per the correct ID, Ctsm pileatum...

[hamizao]

Thanks, kavanaru. I will re-label

[hamizao]

Is it possible then that plants from the same parent to have flowers of different shades/colour?

[rdlsreno]

Originally Posted by kavanaru

expansum and pileatum are "somehow similar", however, the labellum of pileatum is a bit rounder and somehow more elegant.. of course, this is very subjective, so let's go for the diagnostic differences.

both pileatum and expansum have a more or less marcant depression in the "middle" of the labellum, however, expansum has always a very distinctive callus in front of it Catasetum expansum 2010-03-14 01 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Catasetum pileatum 'Christina' | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Also, the labellum of expansum tends to reflex strongly while pileatum does not (Note: Recently I have had a discussion with a friend who showed me a photo of a pileatum from south of Rio Negro, which aparently can have reflexed labellum too. He mentioned that apparently this is not uncommon in this population... I only know that photo!)

both species can have a very wide range of colors, being the tipo of pileatum white and the tipo of expansum greenish.. but you can find both species in yellow, green, white, red, bicolored, with spots... note: the spots in expansum are normally large and "bulky", while in pileatum they are very small and "never" bulky (note that I have written "never"... this is my understanding of this species, but cannot discard the possibility that at least one plant has bulky spots - there is a lot of genetic introgression from macrocarpum and possibly other species into pileatum!)

I agree!

Ramon

[kavanaru]

Originally Posted by hamizao

Is it possible then that plants from the same parent to have flowers of different shades/colour?

yes, this is possible... especially if both parents have different color, or both parent come from a cross of different colored plans. e.g., Bela Vista Orchids in Brazil has seedling of the cross [('Oro Verde' x imperiale)ximperiale] x 'yellow'... the seedlings are blooming in any possible color...

[nancy]

To add to Ramon's comments, the same *plant* can flower in different colors in different bloomings...a member of our orchid society brought his (heartstopping) Cattleya dowiana to our July meeting, and remarked that this year's flowers were a different color from last year's (same plant) - since I am our unofficial archivist, I looked up the 2009 photo, and both the blossom's colors as well as its shape were different. Why? Temperature, humidity, type and schedule of fertilizer? I don't know...but many orchid flowers also change color as they age (though not shape). I guess they do it to keep us guessing.
Cheers - Nancy

[hamizao]

Thank you, Ramon and Nancy.

My third Catasetum is spiking now and I'm looking forward to what's in store this time.

[hamizao]

That third Catasetum of mine has been blooming since yesterday. The flowers are darker green in colour

[kavanaru]

Nice flowers! This is a hybrid, but no way to know which one with 100% of certainty...