What are these growths on my dendrobium/phal?
 

Two different plants with growths coming from old cut back spikes.

Looks like the formation of keikis, or new baby canes growing.

Meant to say "otherwise known as", not "or". Sorry for the confusion.

Ive had new canes grow on these plants from the base of the plant. Is it common or new canes to grow from existing older canes near the top?

Keikis or spikes ... the second pic looks to be a keiki

I can't say for sure about all Dendrobiums, but I do have a few that grow like canes that do produce babies from time to time near old, dead flower stalks.

Its not roots. I do know that.

Either way its exciting. I've never had a home grown spike from either of these plants and I've never had a keiki on any orchid.

I'd say it is a keiki. Keikis forming on the foliage apex like this can indicate insufficient light. I have them on my Den kingianum and it is definitely a lack of light. So if this is an Australian Dendrobium, more light is probably needed.

my suggestion is to slowly move the Den into higher light.

I do break them off occasionally and repot them in small groups.

Well one of them is mere inches from a t5 light and also gets natural light from a window. The other is a little shorter but same conditions apply. Thats as much light as I can give them without putting them outside. Here in texas that might be a death sentence.