A. History of Genera - created in 1822 by Louis Charles Richard with Ctsm. macrocarpum and by Kunth with Ctsm. maculaturn.

The name was coined from the Greek word kata, meaning downward, and the Latin work seta meaning bristle, on account of the antennae on the column.

In 1882 Lindley described C. cristatum from plants cultivated at the London Horticultural Society, and observed that among the flowers there were some monsters with a more fleshy lip and no antennae. Six years later he received specimens of two new species, which he thought belonged to other genera because of their different lip, and described them as Myanthus cemuus and Monoachanthus viridis.
The polymorphism of these plants was simultaneously confirmed in two specimens. Lindley, finding Monachantus, Catasetum and Myanthus - type flowers in a plant of C. cristatum, concluded that his previous classification had been lightly made and that all genera should be united in a single one. He felt that this polymorphism was nothing more than an unaccountable monstrosity. The male (staminate) flowers and female (pistillate) ones are remarkably dissimilar, and are often borne on separate inflorescences, or even at distinct seasons of the year. This sexual dimorphy - which is very rare in the Orchidaceae - has resulted in an excessive amount of nomenclatural confusion within the genus - which largely persists even to this present day.

The genus is commonly divided into two groups taxonomically. One group usually has male flowers with a hood shaped lip with one of the antennae from the column twisted under the base of the column. The other group usually has male flowers with the lip expanded and flattened and the antennae from the column parallel and equal in length. The first group contains about 15 species while the latter has more than 100 and new species are continually being encountered in the interior regions of Brazil.
The Ortho-Catasetum (true catesetums) - possessing usually unisexual and only very rarely perfect flowers. Male flowers are usually produced by lesser amount of light where as female flowers usually develop when large amount of light are present. Several studies have been performed to confirm this gender flower production. Other studies suggest that flower production is a result of other factors not just sunlight. They feel fertijizer and growth habit along with sunlight may be responsible for gender expression in other species in the genera.

The Clowesia - bearing perfect (hermaphrodite) flowers and do not have the triggering mechanism found in Catasetums. The flowers of this group are usually small and clustered on pendulous sprays. The flowers normally last from one to three weeks.

B. Physical Description - Nearly all species are epiphytes with a few species adapted to growing as terrestrials In savannas They are characterized by fleshy pseudobuibs of several internodes with thin, heavily-veined, deciduous leaves. The inflorescence produced from the basal nodes, the unisexual flowers with the lip of the female flower in the form of a hood in all species and the column short and thick. The male flowers with the column much longer and with an apparatus for throwing the pollinarium into the pollinator, the sides of the column formed into antennae, which, when touched by the male euglossine bee, results in the release of the anther which is held under tension. The lip of the male flower are very variable, frequently hood-shaped but also fimbriate, and the two flattened pollina hard and affached to an elongate stipe and round viscidium. The Ecuadorian species occur from sea level to 1000 meter elevation, with three species found in coastal dry forests and the rest in very wet forests of the Amazon drainage. One characteristic feature of this genus is an interesting mechanism that causes pollen to be ejected when anything touches the antennae; another is its dimorphism refereed to above, which permits cross pollination.

C. Pollination - Catasetum flowers produce no nectar and are pollinated by male euglossine bees, especially Euglossa and Eulaema, they are attracted to the flowers to collect and store floral fragrance, specifically aromatic hydrocarbons and volatile terpenes. The scent may only attract the bees for a short period of time but at the moment it begins to flower the bees typically arrive in large numbers; as soon as the flower stops emitting the fragrance the bees depart. The bees are addicted to the fragrance compounds that are emitted from the flowers, and they have keenly adapted olfactory senses that enable them to pick up the odor from a considerable distance. it has been recorded at distance of 6km, but may be more. The male flowers soon fade as soon as the pollinarium is ejected; female flowers fade as soon after they have been pollinated or about a week later if there has been a lot of scratching by the bees at the perfume source inside the labellum. Protected female flowers are long lived - up to about six weeks.

D. Distribution - about 123+ species and 5 natural hybrids (Gustavo A. Romero and Rudolf Jenny, Checklist of species, varieties and natural hybrids), their center of geographic dispersion is the Amazon basin, though they occur from Mexico to southern Brazil. Columbia has the 2nd largest number of species after Brazil. Eleven species are found in Ecuador.

II. Species
A. Flower longevity
B. Male - Female Forms

III. Hybrids

Introduction - The late Wes Ramsey made Ctsm. Dona Marie (pileatum var. aureum x Ctsm. cristatum). Ken West of Ken West Orchids of Hawaii is now using this cross as one of his base plants. Cristatum is a close relative of barbatum. The resulting hybrid produced uniform, flat, round, beautiflilly fringed blooms of medium size. The flowers of good keeping quality lasting 10-14 days. The plants produce 12-16 flowers on good stems and bloom in yellow, gold or green, usually with some slight pattern in the lip and heavy spotting in the petals. The pileatum used was less domiinant than is reported typical of the species. The first progeny of Dona Marie (Susan Fuchs 'Sunrise' x Dona Marie 'Burnished Gold') produced round, gold blooms of about 3 inches, light fringe, and reddish spots in a regular pattern over the entire lip. Ken West feels this plant (Dona Marie) and its progeny are the future in his breeding program. Other plant he feels has great potential is Ctsm. Susan Fuchs (expansum x Orchidglade (expansum x pileatum ), Ctsm Marsh Hollow (fuchsii x Orchidglade) and Ctsm. Lovena (fimbriatum x Susan Fuchs).

Gene Monnier is probably the most noted catesetum hybridizer. His interest is in making intergeneric hybrids for longevity, flower size and number, color and shape.

Problems - identification of species (usually due to polymorphism also in Mormodes) pollination choices, plants from flask, long lasting characteristics and flower size and production.