Ironbark feather orchid, white feather orchid

This common epiphyte grows on trunks of trees in open forests, generally on the tops of hills. It is often locally common with trees in suitable areas covered in this orchid.

The pseudo bulbs grow to about 30 cm by 10 mm with generally 2 but up to 4 apical leaves to 50 mm by 25 mm. The flower stem grows to 10 cm with up to 10 25 mm flowers. The flowers are white turning pink with age with reddish marks on the labellum and a yellow wavy callus.

Two forms of Dendrobium aemulum are common around Brisbane. The ironbark form grows on ironbark trees with short dumpy crowed pseudobulbs. The brush box form grows on brush box trees and have long slender pseudobulbs which radiate in a circle.

Dendrobium aemulum is a distinctive orchid with its dark pseudobulbs and narrow segmented white flowers. There is no other similar species.