We report here the isolation and identification of an orchid homeobox gene, DOH1, from Dendrobium Madame Thong-In. Analyses of its sequence and genomic organization suggest that DOH1 may be the only class 1 knox gene in the genome. DOH1 mRNA accumulates in meristem-rich tissues, and its expression is greatly downregulated during floral transition. In situ hybridization analysis demonstrates tha...

• Specific orchid–fungal associations are known for nonphotosynthetic orchids but fungal diversity in photosynthetic orchids is thought to be quite broad. Specific fungal associations will figure prominently in conservation efforts, while diverse associations may require less attention. We combined culture techniques with ITS and mtLSU sequences and phylogenetic analysis to determine the geneti...

Mycorrhizal association is a common characteristic in a majority of land plants, and the survival and distribution of a species can depend on the distribution of suitable fungi in its habitat. Orchidaceae is one of the most species-rich angiosperm families, and all orchids are fully dependent on fungi for their seed germination and some also for subsequent growth and survival. Given this obliga...

To reduce potential food hazards and increase the image of Thai horticultural products abroad, the Thai government introduced public standards of Good Agricultural Practices (Q-GAP). What makes orchid and mango producers in Thailand adopt Q-GAP standards and how do these affect their income and export shares? Primary data from 400 certified and non-certified orchid and mango producers was colle...

Spring temperature increases could differentially affect flowering times and pollinator flight periods, leading to asynchrony and reduced pollination. A specialist orchid-bee study combining herbarium, museum and field data shows that bee flight dates are advancing faster than orchid flowering, which could lead to significant future uncoupling.

BACKGROUND Orchids have numerous species, and their speciation rates are presumed to be exceptionally high, suggesting that orchids are continuously and actively evolving. The wide diversity of orchids has attracted the interest of evolutionary biologists. In this study, a new orchid was discovered on Danxia Mountain in Guangdong, China. However, the phylogenetic clarification of this new orchi...

Previous in situ studies of orchid population dynamics with conservation relevance have focused on one or a few populations in a limited area. Many species of orchids occur as hyperdispersed populations in ephemeral habitats (epiphytic, twig epiphytes, short lived or vulnerable host). In this contribution, we show that orchid populations that are patchily distributed and that exist in disturban...

The orchid bees constitute a clade of prominent insect pollinators distributed throughout the Neotropical region. Males of all species collect fragrances from natural sources, including flowers, decaying vegetation and fungi, and store them in specialized leg pockets to later expose during courtship display. In addition, orchid bees provide pollination services to a diverse array of Neotropical...

The proliferation of oil palm plantations has led to dramatic changes in tropical landscapes across the globe. However, relatively little is known about the effects of oil palm expansion on biodiversity, especially in key ecosystem-service providing organisms like pollinators. Rapid land use change is exacerbated by limited knowledge of the mechanisms causing biodiversity decline in the tropics...

We report here the isolation and identification of an orchid homeobox gene, DOH1 , from Dendrobium Madame ThongIn. Analyses of its sequence and genomic organization suggest that DOH1 may be the only class 1 knox gene in the genome. DOH1 mRNA accumulates in meristem-rich tissues, and its expression is greatly downregulated during floral transition. In situ hybridization analysis demonstrates tha...