Dendrobium aemulum R. Brown 1810 SECTION Calyptrochilus Photo © Lourens Grobler.
Flower Closeup Photo by Eric Hunt, plant grown by Marni Turkel.
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Common Name The Similar-Looking Dendrobium - In Australia Ironbark Feather Orchid, Brush Box Orchid, and White Feather Orchid - The Thin Feather Orchid
Flower Size 1 1/2" [2.5 cm +]
This epiphytic and sometimes lithophytic species is endemic to Australia from southeastern New South Wales to northeastern Queensland and is found at elevations of 30 to 1300 meters in lowlands and mountains along streams and in open humid forests with 6 noded, smooth, cylindrical stems clustered tightly together, enveloped by sheaths and carrying 2 to 4, apical, ovate, glossy, dark green leaves. It blooms from mid-winter till mid-spring on a short to 4" [5 to 10 cm], fairly dense raceme that arises from the upperleaf nodes of old and new canes and carries 2 to 12, sweetly fragrant flowers.
The species is a cool to warm grower and is found on Iron bark trees or Brush box trees and needs regular watering while growing, but in the winter water should be given far less often
There are 2 distinct varieties, the first is found in rainforests on Brush Box trees and have narrow canes up to 10" long and have dark green shiny leaves. The second variety is found on Ironbark Eucalypts in open forests with short stumpy canes that are crowded together with dull pale leaves.
This species and D odontochilum from New Caledonia are said by Kew to be synomonous but this species has a very acute narrow lip and thin, elongate tepals and appears to be quite different so I have left the 2 species separate. I need more information
Synonyms Callista aemula [R.Br.]O. Ktze. 1891; Dendrocoryne aemulum (R. Br.) Brieger 1981; Tropilis aemula {R.Br.} Raushert 1983;
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Orchidaceae Monandre-Dendrobiinae Fr. Kraenzlin 1910; The Orchidaceae of German New Guinea Schlechter 1914/85; Die Orchideen Schlechter 1915; Die Orchideen 2 Auflage Schlechter 1927; AOS Bulletin Vol 28 No 9 1959; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965; AOS Bulletin Vol 35 No 4 1966; Orchids of Australia Nichills 1969 drawing fide; The Orchids of New South Wales Rupp 1969; Die Orchideen lieferung 11 Schlechter/Brieger 1981 as Dendrocoryne aemulum; Dendrobium Orchids of Australia Upton 1989 drawing fide/photo ok; A Guide to Orchids of the World Hodgson, Paine & Anderson 1991 Photo good; Miniature Orchids McQueens 1992 photo fide; The Manual Of Cultivated Orchid Species Bechtel, Cribb & Laurent 1992; AOS Bulletin Vol 62 No 6 1993 photo fide; Manual of Orchids Stewart 1995; Native Orchids of New Caledonia Societe' Neo-Caledonienne D' Orchidophile 1995 as d odontochilum; Orchid Species Culture; Dendrobium Bakers 1996; Dendrobium and their Relatives Lavarack, Harris and Stocker 2000 photo good; Dendrobium and their Relatives Lavarack, Harris and Stocker 2000 as D callitrophyllum photo hmm; Rudolf Schlechter Die Orchideen Band 1C lieferung 42 - 43 pg 2626 - 2762 Brieger 2001 as Tropilis aemula; Botanica's Orchids 2002 photo good; Flora's Orchids Nash & La Croix 2005; Australian Orchid Review Vol 71 No 5 2006 photo; Native Orchids of Australia Jones 2006 as Tropilis aemula photo good; ; Native Orchids of Australia Jones 2006 as Tropilis callitrophilis photo ok; The Dendrobiums H. P. Wood 2006 photo fide; The Dendrobiums H. P. Wood 2006 as D callitrophilum photo fide; Genera Orchidacearum Vol 6 Epidendrodeae Part 3 Pridgeon, Cribb, Chase and Rasmussen 2014
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