Catasetums Blooming
 

Pics of a couple of Catasetums starting to bloom here (not quite fully open yet). I believe they are Viridiflavums. Naturally occurring here in Guate.

Those are beautiful blooms...I envy you can grow orchids outdoors

Bueatiful, you are very lucky to be able to grow outdoors like that year round :)

healthy plant you have there!!! :waving
but i believe those are catasetum integerrimum

Thanks. I will take a look at the integerrimum.

Just found another little Catasetum growing on the side of a coconut tree near my house. Not blooming yet.

Just doing some initial research and I think you may be right re it being an integerrium. I have another plant which I believe is a viridiflavum and I just assumed this one was also....apparently not.

The other plant which I think is a viridiflavum is just about to bloom again so I can double check and confirm.

(It gets confusing around here sometimes....I just found 3 more species of orchids today I have not seen before!)

Curtis - I'm curious, are you collecting your plants from the wild?

the closest hooded catasetums that looks like integerrimum is ctsm maculatum. ctsm viridiflavum are quite distinctive by the different appearance of the hood,

I always enjoy seeing people growing orchids outside! Congrats on the blooms!

Short answer: No, normally I don't collect from the wild. I typically don't collect any from the wild unless they have fallen from their perch and are going to die anyway.

Longer explanation:

But what is "normal" has a rather short history for me - I just started trying to sort out the bewildering array of orchids here a few weeks ago and have no prior background with orchids.

I live on a river that runs through the mountains and jungles of Guatemala. I can just walk or paddle around my place and find new varieties every day. For example, the larger of the Catasetums I posted is a naturally occurring orchid near my boat house -- judging from the size it has been there quite a long time (It was there when I arrived over 5 years ago). The smaller Catasetum, as you can see, is mounted. I am not sure if it was originally collected or imported because my wife originally imported a refrigerated container -- yup, as in "container ship" -- containing hundreds of plants.

So, in addition to the many naturally occurring varieties I also have many imported/hybrid varieties. I may have to break down and buy Orchid Wiz just to keep my head from exploding!