Catasetum male/female flowers.

[angela]

Let me admit up front that I know VERY little about Catasetum culture. I was asked this question by one of our Society members, and i could not answer, but found it interesting. Since I know that there is a wealth of knowledge her on this Forum I told her I would get back to her. Here's the question.
Can a Catasetum plant produce both Male and female flowers on the same plant: not on the same spike, but on the same plant? It was her understanding that a plant would only produce one or the other (M/F).

[Kmac]

What I have heard is that a plant can flower either male or female (usually not both) depending on conditions. Here's what wikipedia says:

Catasetum - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[angela]

Thanks Kathi !

[kiwiorchids]

Yep, Kathi is right, they can on the same plant, but normally not at the same time. It is dependent on three factors from what ive heard-light, warmth and humidity. Very rarely cats can produce the male/female spikes on the same plant.

[Jose R. Nieves]

Angela:
Depends on the amount of light they are grown in. The can produce male, female or hermaphrodite (mix of both) in different or the same inflorescence, at least in cultivation. I have a pileatum that blooms always by October and it has bloomed in the 3 forms.
Jose

[catttan]

It would be extremely rare for a plant to produce both male and female flowers. Here usually the sex of the flowers is determined by the temperature when the buds are forming on the spike - when there is a period where the temperature is higher than normal then all the flowers are female. However, it is not uncommon to have both male and female on the same spike when temperature changes occur while initiating buds as the buds form progressively along the spike over a period of time. Recently I had flowers of 3 sexes on one spike i.e male, female and hermaphrodite on my Cstm Tunku Zainab Petra. In my more than 30 years of growing catasetums this was the first time this had happened, testimony to our climate change. To my great regret I did not take a photograph of this unique occurence.

[angela]

It would be extremely rare for a plant to produce both male and female flowers. Here usually the sex of the flowers is determined by the temperature when the buds are forming on the spike - when there is a period where the temperature is higher than normal then all the flowers are female. However, it is not uncommon to have both male and female on the same spike when temperature changes occur while initiating buds as the buds form progressively along the spike over a period of time. Recently I had flowers of 3 sexes on one spike i.e male, female and hermaphrodite on my Cstm Tunku Zainab Petra. In my more than 30 years of growing catasetums this was the first time this had happened, testimony to our climate change. To my great regret I did not take a photograph of this unique occurence.

Thanks Yew,
Your information is very helpful.
Best Regards

[opaline]

Totally in agreement with Yew. Its not impossible but the probability of it occuring is low. Have read endless essays/ research on catasetum and even debates/ disputes in regards to darwin etc findings. there is a formidable orchid member on another site who in short is fascinating on the varying subjects of catasetinae. Will try and find it and link here. Infact it was an observational drawing that actually depicted both sexes on a plant and has dominoed in endless reports/ debates/ theories and disputes on the subject of this very maculatum that was illustrated. May be slighly inaccurate at mo but will endaveour to track back and find it.