Ctsm. barbatum x Ctsm. denticulatum

[gngrhill]

Congrats on the great blooms. I can hardly wait for mine to open up to see what color they will be.

[No-Pro-mwa]

It is wonderful.

[medge00]

thanks, guys!
I thought I'd post 2 last pics from a few days ago. The color changed a bit as the blooms got older. Today the blooms are on they're way out and I will likely cut the spike. A nub as developed on the other side, so cross your fingers for a second spike!

[AvantGardner]

If I were you I'd not cut the spike... Let the plant re-absorb the excess water and nutrients out of the spike. Wait to cut til it's crispy. Plus less open tissue exposed to infection. Just my two cents.

[fishmom]

Now some of those blooms look like old men with orange beards .

I'm with AvantGardener--I wait until the green is totally gone before cutting. I'm not sure if this is mythology or not, but it seems to make sense to me.

[medge00]

An update...
I was rewarded with another spike this season, but none of the flowers had the frilly lip! I've seen one or two odd ducks on a spike before, but never the whole spike. I don't think this a female blooming, but some one will correct me, I'm sure.

I thought the plant was going dormant early even though none of the others in the same window are going dormant. So perhaps it got a little stressed in the heat we had this summer, maybe that contributed to the odd flowers.

Pics are from a few days ago. The flowers were especially short lived and are just about done.

[AvantGardner]

What the... Where's' the lip go?

Not a female bloom, lipless males, are the flowers still on? Do the hair triggers work? Still shoot pollen, that is?

[medge00]

They had pollinia but the spiky, torpedo-looking part that you normally see and that houses the pollinia was stunted, not spiky (wow, I hope that description makes sense). I fired one flower, but the pollen didn't shoot, it just sort of fell out. And normally I find they shoot off as the flower ages in last ditch effort... this spike did not.

[Tindomul]

Great pot! Nice plant. Thanks for sharing.

[isurus79]

Very strange! I've seen odd mutations on Cattleyas blooming during very hot summer temps but I haven't seen anything like that happening with Catasetums. Seem like this group could be effected by high heat too.