Common pencil orchid

This epiphyte or lithophyte grows in the rainforest verges and creek margins around Brisbane. This orchid is distinctive in that its pencils stand erect instead of hanging like most other Dendrobiums.

The leaves are erect and grooved and grow to 16 cm long by 12 mm thick. The leaves are not a consistent size but decrease successively in size. The flower is about 30 mm across and is pale green with reddish striations towards the centre and a white ruffled labellum edge marked with purple.

This only similar orchid to D. schoeninum is D. mortii which can be easily distinguished by its lack of reddish striations on the centre of the flower and its pendulous leaves.