A question for all you catasetinae fans

[nancy]

Greetings -
So far, I have grown and bloomed Catasetum, Cycnoches, and (I guess they are) intergeneric hybrids (Clowesetum, Cycnodes, that kind of 'stuff'). I've read that the addition of Clowesia to the Catasetum, aside from generating perfect flowers (HAH!!!) is to give greater longevity to the flowers.
Arguments about 'perfection' aside, I'd be interested in hearing everyone else's experiences with flower lifespans. My own experience has been pretty much 5-6-7 days for anything with Catasetum in its geneaology, and a few days longer if it has Mormodes.
Who has had a really, really long-lasting flower, and what was it?
All things taken into consideration, a week of Catasetum flowers is a pretty heady experience. Beats stanhopea.
I will not add anything to my lustlist, I will not add anything....
Cheers - Nancy

[EdinAZ]

Most of my Catasetinae are 5-10 day bloomers, about like your experience.

But . . . I do have a Catasetum 'Rebecca Northen' that is very healthy and a reliable (every year) bloomer that usually blooms for 18-24 days (around 3 weeks).

Ed

[unhappykat]

The only two Catasetum alliance members I have are Cyc. Golden showers and Cycnds.(I hope this is the abbreviation?) Wine delight 'J.E.M'. The golden showers lasted about twelve days but respiked two months later and lasted over two weeks. The Wine lasted for over a month in my conditions before it finished. they both have Cycnoches in them maybe it lasts longer.

[isurus79]

My Cycnoches flowers that I posted about a month ago (hermaphroditic Jean E Monnier and herrenhusanum) are still going strong. They are, however, mostly female and female forms last much longer than males. I dont know if this is getting away from what you mean.

[dvespertilio]

My Catasetum Crown Fox Voodoo 'Sunset Valley Orchids' flowered last spring and the flowers lasted about ten days, although two or three of the male flowers were deformed. The female flowers preceded the male spike. The plant came with the female spike already forming buds, but the female flowers didn't last very long, only a few days, which may have been due to shipping. This awarded clone of the hybrid is interesting, but not really as exciting as I had hoped.

In reference to another recent thread in this forum, my Cycnoches Jean Monnier seedling, which I had hoped might flower this year, now has a small spike forming. YEAH! Now, if we don't get blown away by Hannah, or Ike, or Josephine, or.......why did I ever choose to live in Florida? Aside from warm growing orchids and such, there's not really much I truly care for. I miss my beloved mountains and the Pacific NW. (Sob!)

[isurus79]

Originally Posted by dvespertilio

In reference to another recent thread in this forum, my Cycnoches Jean Monnier seedling, which I had hoped might flower this year, now has a small spike forming. YEAH! Now, if we don't get blown away by Hannah, or Ike, or Josephine, or.......why did I ever choose to live in Florida? Aside from warm growing orchids and such, there's not really much I truly care for. I miss my beloved mountains and the Pacific NW. (Sob!)

Good to hear about your Cycnoches. You know, in Hawaii we have warm weather, a hurricane once every few decades and 13,000 ft volcanos that get snow capped peaks every year. You could have the best of Pac NW and florida all ravelled into Hawaii!! lol

[dvespertilio]

Thanks for the encouragement, Steve. I have visited Hawaii, twice, only seeing Oahu and the Big Island. I would like to visit Mauii sometime, but given money and kids and what, that will probably be way in the future, if ever. Years ago I considered moving to Hawaii, long before I was married, but the job situation was not good. Now my wife, who is thirteen years my junior, has a very good job here in Jacksonville, FL, with Bank of America. I'm the college grad and I barely scrape by. She has the commercial high school diploma from Pusan, ROK (she's Korean) and makes $40K plus. Go figure. Yeah, Hawaii would be very nice, too.... and midway between the West Coast and the in-laws in Korea.

[unhappykat]

I need hawaii, soon!!!

[golden]

My cyc.cooperi is flowering at the moment (2 spikes,female flowers). The buds have been opened for 3 weeks.