My first female catasetum flower

this female flower is catasetum Chong Keng Yong. its a first female flower for me and the best part is that i had a male flower blooming at the same time so i guess i had the chance to try with hybridization as well. if pollination is successful i guess i got to find a orchid nursery to help me with the flasking. if everything goes on well, i even thought of registering the hybrid.

its only the first step so far and still so many steps far ahead. i guess it would be 3-4 years at least before i can see the product of my hybridization.

the second pic is after the male pollen (paired yellow structure) is in place. keeping my finger cross :)

catasetum integerrimum

Catasetum integerrimum is derived from the word "integerrimus" which in botanical terms means without teeth, notch or lobes.
This species is mostly confused with catasetum maculatum, the latter had a fringes or small tooth lip while integerrimum lip are smooth, namely integerrimus.

Started from a single bulb cutting about 6 months plus ago, with unknown ID except that it is a species catasetum, all the waiting eventually paid off when this catasetum integerrimum decided to bloomed finally.

the flower is about 3cm across and 5 cm tall and smells like other catasetum in which i describe them as "cinnamon" smell. Most of the evening, water droplets (sap) tend to accumulate at the ventral portion of the hood like structure, i took a sip of it and it's SWEET.

will attempt to pollinate with a female catasetum that just started to blooming today.

catasetum female and male forming at the same time !!!

So excited about this, though the spike appear about about one week difference, both eventually both developed to similar maturity stage almost together. about to bloom in a few days time. I am so excited about this, for the female flower is my first female catasetum flower for me and the male flower is a catasetum species which i am waiting for it to bloom to ID it. The female catasetum flower here in the picture is Catasetum Chong Keng Yong (all female catasetum flower looks alike). really looking forward for it to bloom together and i shall try on pollination. Here are the pics for the flower buds and will update as soon as they flowers (hopefully can do further update of formation of the seed pods if pollination is a success)

CHEERS

the two pics above are male flower of the ctsm spp while the bottom one are the female (can notice the broader flower stalk that is attaching to the flower, ie in which upon successful pollition will form into the seed pods)