Background:One of the most common side effects of cyclophosphamide (CP) is oligo-spermatozoa, azoospermia and elimination of spermatogenic cycles. This study was done to find the efficacy of simultaneous consumption of garlic (Allium sativum L.) and orchid (Orchismaculata L.) hydroalcoholic extracts on spermatogenesis and sex hormones in rats treated with CP. ...

Several key characteristics of the species-rich orchid family are due to its symbiotic relationships with pollinators and mycorrhizal fungi. The majority of species are insect pollinated and show strong adaptations for outcrossing, such as pollination by food- and sexual-deception, and all orchids are reliant on mycorrhizal fungi for successful seedling establishment. Recent studies of orchid p...

Do orchid bees sting? Female orchid bees, like the rest of the aculate Hymenoptera, have a sting apparatus, which evolved from modified ovipositor structures. Although quite painful, people rarely get stung by orchid bees, mainly because orchid bees are solitary and do not aggressively defend their nests. Also, most researchers work with stingless males, which can be easily lured to synthetic c...

Orchid seeds, which are produced in abundance, are particularly small and light. Some orchid species are anemochorous, i.e., bear seeds that are dispersed by wind. To characterize the seeds of Japanese orchids, we measured the size of seeds and embryos of 68 Japanese orchid species. Most orchid seeds had a length of 0.3 to 2 mm and a width of 0.07 to 0.2 mm. Embryo length and width were 0.1 to ...

Previously we developed genomic resources for orchids, including transcriptomic analyses using next-generation sequencing techniques and construction of a web-based orchid genomic database. Here, we report a modified molecular model of flower development in the Orchidaceae based on functional analysis of gene expression profiles in Phalaenopsis aphrodite (a moth orchid) that revealed novel role...

Australia is rich in orchid flora with over 1000 native species currently recorded. A significant proportion of Australia’s terrestrial orchids are critically endangered, endangered or threatened. Threats to many orchid species include habitat destruction, degradation and fragmentation from increased urbanisation, overgrazing, altered fire regimes and unfortunately, excessive collecting by orch...

Orchid species are critically dependent on mycorrhizal fungi for completion of their life cycle, particularly during the early stages of their development when nutritional resources are scarce. As such, orchid mycorrhizal fungi play an important role in the population dynamics, abundance, and spatial distribution of orchid species. However, less is known about the ecology and distribution of or...

Tropical orchids constitute the greater part of orchid diversity, but little is known about their obligate mycorrhizal relationships. The specificity of these interactions and associated fungal distributions could influence orchid distributions and diversity. We investigated the mycorrhizal specificity of the tropical epiphytic orchid Ionopsis utricularioides across an extensive geographical ra...

Almost 200 species of orchid bees are the exclusive pollinators of nearly 700 specialized orchids in the neotropics. This well-known mutualism involves orchids, called perfume orchids, which produce species-specific blends of floral fragrances, and male orchid bees, which collect and use these fragrance compounds during their courtship. We report here the naturalization of an orchid bee, Euglos...

UNLABELLED PREMISE OF THE STUDY Phylogenetic and microsatellite markers were developed for Tulasnella mycorrhizal fungi to investigate fungal species identity and diversity. These markers will be useful in future studies investigating the phylogenetic relationship of the fungal symbionts, specificity of orchid-mycorrhizal associations, and the role of mycorrhizae in orchid speciation within ...