catasetum ciliatum - male and female buds

this spike is made up of both male and female flowers, it is not common for catasetums to do this but this is my second plant doing so in this season. this plant is catasetum ciliatum and even the male flowers itself, while in bud looks like female to untrained eyes because of the hooded appearance.

below are a few pics showing the difference of male and female ciliatum flowers while in bud

the two below is the male flower (the metal wire is a 3mm diameter wire for comparison of size)

the two pics below are female flower buds, the hood is larger and greener compare to the male one, and the pedicle is also broader compare to the male flowers

the pic below showing both the female and male flower for easier comparison (female on the right of the pic)

and off course there is no telling whether the female bud will be a pure female or a hermaphrodite until it opens =D

catasetum ciliatum, hermaphrodite

this is a hermaphrodite ciliatum actually, though it looks very much like a female but it is a hermaphrodite. the red coloration at the margin of the labellum indicates that it is not a pure female although other part of the flower is greenish including the round cap anther is present.

 frontal view of the hermaphrodite flower, the red lip margin is visible

lateral view of the flower showing the RESUPINATE dome shape of the labellum, much bigger compare to a male labellum and it is non resupinate in the latter

last pic below just showing the round tip anther

catasetum naso, finally a pure male flower

this plant has gave me multiple spike before but mostly are female and some are hermaphrodites. the nearest male flower i had was the last spike, under the post title catasetum naso but even though that flower was just another hermaphrodite with more male features.
this spike appears initially with three female like buds and three male buds, however the female buds turn out to be hermaphrodite flowers. i pollinated them, because according to the literature, hermaphrodite are fertile.
just to test if they can produce viable seeds.

the labellum of the naso are trilobe, with the apex lobe being pointy in appearance, usually longer compare to the sanguineum. the internal side of the labellum are dark brown to red in color with some yellow coloration. the edge of the loge are only tenaciously serrated and it is located mostly near the base of the labellum near the column.

the first pic below is to show the internal part of the labellum, the antennae touches each other as they enter the sac of the labellum, just like the sanguineum. the lateral margins of the labellum are mostly serrated near the flowr column. for sanguineum the serrated margin is more pronounce and it occupies the lateral border of the labellum as well.

lateral view of the flower

appearance of the flower spike

final picture below showing the measurements of the flower segment