Knowledge about the population genetic variation of the endangered orchid, Cypripedium japonicum, is conducive to the development of conservation strategies. Here, we examined the levels and partitioning of inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) diversity (109 loci) in five populations of this orchid to gain insight into its genetic variation and population structure in Eastern and Central China. ...

Orchidaceae, one of the largest angiosperm families, has significant commercial value. Isolation of genes involved in orchid floral development and morphogenesis, scent production, and colouration will advance knowledge of orchid flower formation and facilitate breeding new varieties to increase the commercial value. With high-throughput virusinduced gene silencing (VIGS), this study identified...

We identified a new holomycotrophic orchid that is related to the myco-heterotrophic Calypsoeae. Because chloroplast genes are primarily lacking or are highly divergent, key morphological characters are either reduced or lost from many myco-heterotrophs, and the phylogenetic relationships of weakly supported paraphyletic Calypsoeae within Epidendroideae have been poorly understood in previous m...

BACKGROUND Rates of maternal and perinatal mortality remain high in developing countries despite the existence of effective interventions. Efforts to strengthen evidence-based approaches to improve health in these settings are partly hindered by restricted access to the best available evidence, limited training in evidence-based practice and concerns about the relevance of existing evidence. So...

Orchids are members of the family Orchidaceae, one of the largest families of flowering plants. There are an estimated 20,000 to 25,000 orchid species, which occupy wide ranges of ecological habitats and exhibit highly specialized morphological, structural, and physiological characteristics (Dressler, 1990). In particular, the most spectacular evolution is shown in reproductive biology. The pro...

protozoa, such as those that cause sleeping sickness, leishmaniasis, and even malaria, predominantly reproduce clonally, which is, of course, of considerable medical significance. In May 1991, Tibayrenc returned to my lab, now at UC Irvine, for 14 months of additional research. We have continued collaborating to the present. Are science and religion compatible? Evolution and religious beliefs n...

98 Figure 1. Cypripedium kentuckiense orchid showing the distinctive lady's slipper features of its flowers and leaves.