Pollinating Catts

I'm too impatient to find out whether my new cross has taken or not, so I was wondering if the stigma of Catts. closes when pollinated succesfully, like Phals. do, or not? At the moment it hasen't but I do see something happening - swelling of that gooey mass from the stigma (what is that called??)

P.s. the cross is (Bc. Maikai x Blc. Mem. Tiang 'Pipop') - Oh and should this be a possible cross?

Christian

Technically, the stigma is the female sex part of a non-orchidacious flower, where the anthers are the male parts that hold the pollen.

Orchids are orchids because their male and female sex parts are fused into a column. That would be the "nose" of the cattleya. The anther cap sits at the end of the column and protects the pollinia, which contains the pollen. The pollen then gets applied to the underside of the column, which is very sticky.

Technically, the column should swell and wrap itself around the pollen. But when I crossed my Catts, I simply took the whole pollinia and stuck it onto the column with the pollen-side in contact. The column never enclosed the pollinia.

If the other flowers and stems start to fade and the stem leading to the pollinated flower stays green and healthy (the flower itself will turn brown and die off), then you're probably in business!

McOrchidObstetrician

Hmm ok.. waiting game then..

Wait a minute.. Did you mean that you stuck the entire anther cap with the pollina stille attached into the stigma?? (actually I think I tried that with my Pot. Burana Beauty.. A pod started but got rejected within a month. The plant is now growing in the big jungle in the sky..(fungus))

Christian

Yup.

McJulie

Hmmmmmm....speaking of pollinating things.....I couldn't resist crossing my catt with my (Catt, Brass, Laila)...and guess w h a t ???

I think I see some healthy swollen bellies!! Flowers closed and died, and stem is still green and healthy. See the cross below....(by the way McOrchidObstetrician, I did this Jan. 30th. No guessing games THIS time around. Then again, I have no idea how long it will take the new pods to "pop". Any ideas???????????

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Hey, Doodle sex fiend, give me the names of the parents and I'll get you a guesstimate. Snap a photo of the swelling pod - by now the flower should have died off, and the stem below it (where the ovaries are located) should show signs of swelling.)

And then smoke a cigar!

McOrchidOB

NAMES??? Well....hmmm....well I've always liked Aubrey and Emily...but then again, I guess one of them should be a boy name...

NOIDS NOIDS NOIDS NOIDS NOIDS NOIDS

Doodle/Sex Fiend/Smart A$$

I crossed a Catt species with an Lc, and green harvested the pods after six months. I don't recall exactly, but I think the Catt species matures a little faster than Laelias. I'd have to dig to find all that paperwork, but I think six months would be about right - you might be okay with seven.

So you're looking at early August.

McOOB