Dendrobium aemulum R. Brown 1810 SECTION Calyptrochilus Photo © Lourens Grobler.
Flower Closeup Photo courtesy of Eric Hunt, plant grown by Marni Turkel.
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Common Name Ironbark Feather Orchid, Brush Box Orchid, and White feather Orchid - The Similar-Looking Dendrobium
Flower Size 1 1/2" [2.5 cm +]
This epiphytic and sometimes lithophytc species is endemic to Australia from Southeastern New South Wales to Northeastern Queensland and is found at elevations of 100-3950 feet 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 and needs regular watering while growing, but in the winter water should be given far less often. The species is a cool to warm grower and is found on Iron bark trees or Brush box trees.
There are 3 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. The third is the most uncommon, found on Cypress pine and has very slender 10" canes and is most often found with a single flower.
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; Dendrobium aemulum var. callitrophilum (B.Gray & D.L.Jones) Dockrill 1992; Dendrobium callitrophilum B.Gray & D.L.Jones 1989; Dendrocoryne aemulum (R. Br.) Brieger 1981; Tropilis aemula {R.Br.} Raushert 1983; Tropilis callitrophilis (B.Gray & D.L.Jones) D.L.Jones & M.A.Clem. 2002;
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; The Orchidaceae of German New Guinea Schlechter 1914/85; AOS Bulletin Vol 28 No 9 1959; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965; AOS Bulletin Vol 35 No 4 1966; Native Orchids of New Caledonia Societe' Neo-Caledonienne D' Orchidophile 1995 as d odontochilum; Orchid Species Culture; Dendrobium Bakers 1996; Australian Orchid Review Vol 71 No 5 2006 photo; Native Orchids of Australia Jones 2006 as Tropilis aemula; Native Orchids of Australia Jones 2006 as Tropilis callitrophilis
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