# Mini Catasetum



## Happypaphy7 (Aug 9, 2017)

Catasetum Karen Armstrong 'SVO' x C. Alex 'Good One'.

It actually spiked back in May, but that one never got too far and dried up.
The plant made another spike right over the dead one in late June and now it is in bloom.
All thirteen buds have made it! 

I was hoping for darker flowers like the parents, but this is a surprise.
It started to open Monday, VERY slowly.
Finally, today there is some scent, but it smells bad, sort of like a naphthalene?

The second photo shows correct color. It's rather pale. Oh, well...

I have one more Catasetum that I am really excited about and looking forward to, though!
My C. pileatum, a first time bloomer it will be, is popping two spikes!!!! Jumping for joy!!! haha


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## AdamD (Aug 9, 2017)

Very nice, full round shape, fimbriated lip with distinct callus, nice color contrast and tight grouping. I like it a lot. Has this cross been named yet?


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## chris20 (Aug 9, 2017)

Love it.


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## Ozpaph (Aug 9, 2017)

very pretty


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## SlipperFan (Aug 9, 2017)

Beautiful. I like it a lot.


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## Happypaphy7 (Aug 9, 2017)

AdamD said:


> Very nice, full round shape, fimbriated lip with distinct callus, nice color contrast and tight grouping. I like it a lot. Has this cross been named yet?



I saw it as C. Karen Armstrong-Alexa. 
I guess those two names were very important to the person who registered it.


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## abax (Aug 9, 2017)

What a lovely surprise! The flowers are beautiful and I didn't at all
expect the speckles and that gorgeous lip.


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## Mark Karayannis (Aug 10, 2017)

That,s a good one for it,s shape and color. Congrats


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## Lanmark (Aug 10, 2017)

This is excellent!


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## mrhappyrotter (Aug 10, 2017)

When you say "mini" how big are we talking?

I have a feeling I'd like the fragrance. Although I don't know what your plant's flower smell like, per se, I know what some of those Catasetums smell like. It's not a pretty scent, but at least it's not "cat turds" or "rotten fish" like some of the Bulbos. LOL


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## Happypaphy7 (Aug 10, 2017)

It stands about 9 inch tall and leaves are smallish and so are the flowers.
I'm mostly comparing to the giants like C. pileatum or expansum heavy hybrids. 

and this is what Fred seems to advertise them as miniature Catasetum, so I call it that way. 

Regarding the scent, it smells to me like naphthalene with some sweet note. Not that pleasant, but definitely nothing terrible like certain bulbs. 

Also, it is only fragrant during very short time window, I would say almost exactly midday for barely one hour?

Cycnoches are fragrant before I even get off the bed and their frangrace persist well into the afternoon, not to mention very pleasant to smell.


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## labskaus (Aug 11, 2017)

Not a colour I would have expected, but I agree with everything Adam says. Very nice.


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## blondie (Aug 11, 2017)

Another lovely looking flower congrats on bloom.


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## Happypaphy7 (Aug 13, 2017)

All 13 are open now.
Smells like moth ball. not good.


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## SlipperFan (Aug 13, 2017)

I'll take it!


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## NYEric (Aug 13, 2017)

Nice, thanks for sharing


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## Happypaphy7 (Aug 16, 2017)

They are all withering. 
So total days of bloom is about five days. 
It took several days for all of them to open, especially the last two flowers. 
So, I'm counting from the day when all the flowers opened till yesterday. 
Much shorter than my Cycnoches.


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## AdamD (Aug 16, 2017)

Sounds about right


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## Happypaphy7 (Aug 17, 2017)

It is very interesting to see how they go.
Sepals gradually shrink while the petals and lips maintain. The colors turn reddish overall. Quite pretty still. and still smells like moth balls.

For the ones that I triggered the pollens off, the entire flower shrink.


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## paphioboy (Aug 18, 2017)

Very pretty!


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## Dandrobium (Aug 18, 2017)

Wow, those are wonderful blooms! A shame they don't last longer...


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