Abstract
The spring orchid (Cymbidium goeringii), found in northeast Asia, is one of the most popular and horticulturally important species of the orchid family. This study analyzed the genetic diversity and population structure of the spring orchid populations in the small islands and mainland South Korea using 11 microsatellite markers. The genetic diversities of spring orchid populations in the distant islands (Heuksan Island and Ulleung Island) were slightly lower than that of the mainland population (Yeonggwang-gun). The population structure in the mainland was genetically separated from the populations in the islands. The population of Ulleung Island, located in the eastern part of the Korean peninsula, was genetically closer to the populations from China and Japan than to the populations from Yeonggwang-gun and Heuksan Island, which are geographically close to China. These results imply that the populations of spring orchids distributed in Yeonggwang-gun and Heuksan Island appear not to be influenced by the yellow dust winds. As the first population genetic study of spring orchids distributed in small distant islands, our study will be useful for understanding the genetic diversity and population structure of isolated C. goeringii populations.
Highlights
The genus Cymbidium (Orchidaceae) of the family Orchidaceae comprises about 70 species with a high taxonomic and morphological diversity and is frequently found in many Asian countries and Australia [1,2,3]
A total of 268 leaf and root samples were collected and analyzed to compare their genetic diversity and confirm their genetic structure. Of these 268 samples, 104 samples were collected from three sites in Yeonggwang-gun (YG) in mainland South Korea, between March 2018 and July 2020, 68 samples were collected from three sites in Ulleung Island (UL) during April 2019, and 96 samples were obtained from two sites in Heuksan Island (HS) during February 2019 (Figure 1)
Spring orchids from YG had relatively high genetic diversity (I and h) and low inbreeding coefficient (FIS )
Summary
The genus Cymbidium (Orchidaceae) of the family Orchidaceae comprises about 70 species with a high taxonomic and morphological diversity and is frequently found in many Asian countries and Australia [1,2,3]. Cymbidium goeringii Lindley, commonly known as the spring orchid, is frequently distributed in the East Asian countries, such as China, Korea, and Japan. Its cultivars are mostly vegetatively propagated, whereas wild individuals are propagated by sexual reproduction, predominantly via self-pollination [4]. It is one of the most popular and horticulturally important species in the genus Cymbidium, because of its many varieties and characteristic color and shape phenotypes of leaves and flowers. Spring orchids with attractive phenotypes are collected from field and traded commercially. It is necessary to develop a conservation plan to protect this species from being over-collected
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