Cymbidium Species Research Articles

Effect of Autoclaved Lightweight Concrete(ALC) on Growth and Flowering in Three Species of Cymbidium and Doritaenopsis Plants as a Potting Medium

Effect of Autoclaved Lightweight Concrete(ALC) on Growth and Flowering in Three Species of Cymbidium and Doritaenopsis Plants as a Potting Medium

Differentiation of water-related traits in terrestrial and epiphytic Cymbidium species.

Epiphytes that grow in the canopies of tropical and subtropical forests experience different water regimes when compared with terrestrial plants. However, the differences in adaptive strategies between epiphytic and terrestrial plants with respect to plant water relations remain poorly understood. To understand how water-related traits contrast between epiphytic and terrestrial growth forms within the Cymbidium (Orchidaceae), we assessed leaf anatomy, hydraulics, and physiology of seven terrestrial and 13 epiphytic species using a common garden experiment. Compared with terrestrial species, epiphytic species had higher values for leaf mass per unit area (LMA), leaf thickness (LT), epidermal thickness, saturated water content (SWC) and the time required to dry saturated leaves to 70% relative water content (T70). However, vein density (Dvein), stomatal density (SD), and photosynthetic capacity (Amax) did not differ significantly between the two forms. T70 was positively correlated with LT, LMA, and SWC, and negatively correlated with stomatal index (SI). Amax showed positive correlations with SD and SI, but not with Dvein. Vein density was marginally correlated with SD, and significantly correlated with SI. Overall, epiphytic orchids exhibited substantial ecophysiological differentiations from terrestrial species, with the former type showing trait values indicative of greater drought tolerance and increased water storage capacity. The ability to retain water in the leaves plays a key role in maintaining a water balance in those epiphytes. Therefore, the process of transpiration depends less upon the current substrate water supply and enables epiphytic Cymbidium species to adapt more easily to canopy habitats.

Genetic diversity of culturable endophytic bacteria in the roots of wild and greenhouse Cymbidium faberi

Cymbidium faberi is a representative species of Cymbidium with high ornamental and economic value. Investigating the diversity of C. faberi’s endophytic bacteria not only enriches endophytic bacterial resources, but also provides basic data on orchid-microbe interactions. We investigated the genetic diversity of culturable endophytic bacteria in the roots of wild C. faberi from Tianmu Mountain, Zhejiang Province and C. faberi grown in a greenhouse for one year. Culture-dependent methods were used to isolate endophytic bacteria from the roots of C. faberi. The diversity of these bacteria was investigated using 16S rRNA gene partial sequence analysis. A total of 97 strains were isolated from the interior of wild C. faberi roots. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequences, the 97 isolates were affiliated with 13 genera of Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, and Firmicutes. The dominant group was Gammaproteobacteria (86.60%), and the dominant genus was Lelliottia (26.80%). A total of 52 endophytic strains were isolated from the roots of C. faberi grown in the greenhouse. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequences, the 52 isolates were grouped into 9 genera of Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria and Actinobacteria. The dominant group was Betaproteobacteria (48.08%), and the dominant genus was Herbaspirillum (34.62%). The strain ehR17 was identified as a potential novel species. For C. faberi, the diversity of culturable endophytic bacteria was higher from the wild Tianmu Mountain population than from plants grown in the greenhouse for one year. Community structure of endophytic bacteria was closely related to plant growth environment. 62 生 物 多 样 性 Biodiversity Science 第 23卷

Development of Cymbidium ensifolium genic-SSR markers and their utility in genetic diversity and population structure analysis in cymbidiums.

BackgroundCymbidium is a genus of 68 species in the orchid family, with extremely high ornamental value. Marker-assisted selection has proven to be an effective strategy in accelerating plant breeding for many plant species. Analysis of cymbidiums genetic background by molecular markers can be of great value in assisting parental selection and breeding strategy design, however, in plants such as cymbidiums limited genomic resources exist. In order to obtain efficient markers, we deep sequenced the C. ensifolium transcriptome to identify simple sequence repeats derived from gene regions (genic-SSR).ResultThe 7,936 genic-SSR markers were identified. A total of 80 genic-SSRs were selected, and primers were designed according to their flanking sequences. Of the 80 genic-SSR primer sets, 62 were amplified in C. ensifolium successfully, and 55 showed polymorphism when cross-tested among 9 Cymbidium species comprising 59 accessions. Unigenes containing the 62 genic-SSRs were searched against Non-redundant (Nr), Gene Ontology database (GO), eukaryotic orthologous groups (KOGs) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database. The search resulted in 53 matching Nr sequences, of which 39 had GO terms, 18 were assigned to KOGs, and 15 were annotated with KEGG. Genetic diversity and population structure were analyzed based on 55 polymorphic genic-SSR data among 59 accessions. The genetic distance averaged 0.3911, ranging from 0.016 to 0.618. The polymorphic index content (PIC) of 55 polymorphic markers averaged 0.407, ranging from 0.033 to 0.863. A model-based clustering analysis revealed that five genetic groups existed in the collection. Accessions from the same species were typically grouped together; however, C. goeringii accessions did not always form a separate cluster, suggesting that C. goeringii accessions were polyphyletic.ConclusionThe genic-SSR identified in this study constitute a set of markers that can be applied across multiple Cymbidium species and used for the evaluation of genetic relationships as well as qualitative and quantitative trait mapping studies. Genic-SSR’s coupled with the functional annotations provided by the unigenes will aid in mapping candidate genes of specific function.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12863-014-0124-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Autonomous self-pollination and insect visitors in partially and fully mycoheterotrophic species of Cymbidium (Orchidaceae).

Few studies have examined the reproductive ecology of mycoheterotrophic plants, but the existing literature hypothesizes that they adopt a self-pollinating strategy. Although growing evidence indicates that some rewarding mycoheterotrophic plants depend (at least partially) on an insect-mediated pollination system, it remains unclear whether some mycoheterotrophic plants can attract pollinators without nectar or other rewards. Moreover, in a broader evolutionary/ecological context, the question of whether the evolution of mycoheterotrophy induces a shift in pollination pattern is still unknown. Here I present a comparative investigation into the breeding system of two fully mycoheterotrophic orchids, Cymbidium macrorhizon and C. aberrans, and their closest extant relative, the mixotrophic C. lancifolium. Pollination experiments were conducted to determine the breeding system of these plants. In addition, flower visitors that might contribute to pollination were recorded. Flowers at different maturity stages were examined to investigate mechanisms enabling or limiting self-fertilization. While nectarless flowers of C. lancifolium and C. macrorhizon can successfully attract potential pollinator honeybees, all three Cymbidium possess an effective self-pollination system in which the rostellum that physically separates the stigma and pollinia is absent. Because mixotrophic and mycoheterotrophic Cymbidium occupy low-light niches, pollinator foraging would be negatively influenced by low-light intensity. In partial and fully mycoheterotrophic Cymbidium, autogamy would likely be favoured as a reproductive assurance to compensate for pollinator limitation due to their lack of nectar and pollinators' hostile habitat preferences.

Fragrance discrimination of Chinese Cymbidium species and cultivars using an electronic nose

The sensory quality of orchid flowers has a major impact on consumer preference. It has been noticed that orchid blossoms with different genetic backgrounds exhibit differences in fragrance; however, most of these observations are based on subjective evaluation. An objective approach to study the sensory quality of orchids is greatly needed. In the present study, four species of Chinese orchid (Cymbidium spp.) consisting of 2–6 cultivars each, including Cymbidium goeringii, Cymbidium faberi, Cymbidium ensifolium, Cymbidium kanran, were selected for sensory quality determination using an electronic nose (e-nose) equipped with 18 metallic oxide sensors. e-Nose sensors were mainly grouped into two types according to the intensity produced by each sensor element when exposed to volatiles emitted by orchid flowers. Principal component analysis (PCA) and discriminant factor analysis (DFA) were used to dissect out difference between orchid samples, in which DFA exhibited more effective discriminating results either within a species or between species. Odor distance was further calculated to produce statistical values showing the level of difference between orchid samples, in which closely related e-nose fragrance signatures were observed between C. ensifolium and C. kanran. In addition, under the controlled experimental conditions, changes in sensory quality of blossoms were found to be mainly influenced by blooming time.

Genome assembly of citrus leprosis virus nuclear type reveals a close association with orchid fleck virus.

The complete genome of citrus leprosis virus nuclear type (CiLV-N) was identified by small RNA sequencing utilizing leprosis-affected citrus samples collected from the state of Querétaro, Mexico. The nucleotide identity and phylogenetic analysis indicate that CiLV-N is very closely related to orchid fleck virus, which typically infects Cymbidium species.

Determination of Genetic Relationships among Eight Cymbidium Species on The Basis of Internal Transcribed Spacer Region of rRNA gene

Nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA) was analyzed to identify inter-specific genetic relationships among 8 Cymbidium species (Cymbidium insigne, C. ensifolium, C. marginatum, C. faberi, C. gyokuchin, C. kanran, C. forrestii, and C. goeringii). Nuclear rDNA including 2 internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions and 5.8S, was amplified using polymerase chain reaction and sequenced. The sequences were compared via pair-wise multiple alignment to determine the genetic relationships among the studied species. The lengths of the ITS1, ITS2, and 5.8S regions were 235 bp, from 255 bp to 257 bp, and from 153 bp to 165 bp, respectively. Sequence similarities in the ITS region ranged from 78.7% between C. gyokuchin and C. kanran to 96.8% between C. ensifolium and C. kanran. A phylogenetic tree was constructed from nuclear rDNA nucleotide sequence data of the 8 cymbidiums and 1 outgroup species to estimate genetic relationships. The tree revealed that cymbidiums could be classified by their ecological traits, such as their temperature preference or inflorescence pattern. The phylogenetic data is applicable for identification, classification, and breeding of cymbidiums.

Improved ex vitro survival of asymbiotically raised seedlings of Cymbidium using mycorrhizal fungi isolated from distant orchid taxa

Two fungal endophytes isolated from the roots of epiphytic orchids Rhynchostylis retusa and Aerides multiflorum were employed for biological hardening of asymbiotically raised seedlings of Cymbidium aloifolium and C. giganteum. These fungal isolates showed resemblance to Rhizoctonia-like fungi in their cultural characteristics, microscopic features and ITS region sequences. The ITS region sequences of Ceratobasidium sp. strain RR showed 100% identity with Rhizoctonia sp. M2ao1 and Ceratobasidium sp. FPUB 168, whereas Ceratobasidium sp. strain AM displayed 89% identity with Ceratobasidium sp. JTO 031. The fungal isolates promoted growth and survival of seedlings of both species of Cymbidium, with greater promotory effects of Ceratobasidium sp. strain RR. The higher survival and growth increment in inoculated seedlings of C. aloifolium emphasized the importance of biological hardening of asymbiotically grown orchid seedlings.

Complete chloroplast genome of the genus Cymbidium: lights into the species identification, phylogenetic implications and population genetic analyses

BackgroundCymbidium orchids, including some 50 species, are the famous flowers, and they possess high commercial value in the floricultural industry. Furthermore, the values of different orchids are great differences. However, species identification is very difficult. To a certain degree, chloroplast DNA sequence data are a versatile tool for species identification and phylogenetic implications in plants. Different chloroplast loci have been utilized for evaluating phylogenetic relationships at each classification level among plant species, including at the interspecies and intraspecies levels. However, there is no evidence that a short sequence can distinguish all plant species from each other in order to infer phylogenetic relationships. Molecular markers derived from the complete chloroplast genome can provide effective tools for species identification and phylogenetic resolution.ResultsThe complete nucleotide sequences of eight individuals from a total of five Cymbidium species’ chloroplast (cp) genomes were determined using Illumina sequencing technology of the total DNA via a combination of de novo and reference-guided assembly. The length of the Cymbidium cp genome is about 155 kb. The cp genomes contain 123 unique genes, and the IR regions contain 24 duplicates. Although the genomes, including genome structure, gene order and orientation, are similar to those of other orchids, they are not evolutionarily conservative. The cp genome of Cymbidium evolved moderately with more than 3% sequence divergence, which could provide enough information for phylogeny. Rapidly evolving chloroplast genome regions were identified and 11 new divergence hotspot regions were disclosed for further phylogenetic study and species identification in Orchidaceae.ConclusionsPhylogenomic analyses were conducted using 10 complete chloroplast genomes from seven orchid species. These data accurately identified the individuals and established the phylogenetic relationships between the species. The results reveal that phylogenomics based on organelle genome sequencing lights the species identification—organelle-scale “barcodes”, and is also an effective approach for studying whole populations and phylogenetic characteristics of Cymbidium.

Comparative karyomorphological study of some Indian Cymbidium Swartz, 1799 (Cymbidieae, Orchidaceae)

Understanding the genetic resources and diversity is very important for the breeding programs and improvement of several economically important orchids like Cymbidium. Karyomorphological studies have been carried out on seven Cymbidium species, Cymbidium aloifolium (Linnaeus, 1753), Cymbidium devonianum Paxton,1843, Cymbidium elegans Lindley, 1828, Cymbidium iridioides D. Don, 1825, Cymbidium lowianum Rchb. f.,1877, Cymbidium tigrinum Parish ex Hook. f., 1864, and Cymbidium tracyanum L. Castle,1890, most of them endangered/threatened in their natural habitat. As reported earlier, the somatic chromosome number (2n = 40) has been observed in all the seven species. Distinct inter-specific variation was recorded in the arm ratio of few homologous pairs in the complements. Symmetrical or almost symmetrical karyotypes were prevalent; however significant asymmetry was reported in Cymbidium iridioides and Cymbidium tracyanum. The significance of karyotypic variation in speciation of the genus Cymbidium has been discussed. This study provides useful chromosome landmarks and evidence about genome evolution, heteromorphic chromosomes based heterozygosity, basic chromosome number and ploidy level in the genus Cymbidium.

New Basal Media for Protocorm-Like Body and Callus Induction of Hybrid Cymbidium

Abstract High frequency protocorm-like body (PLB) production from hybrid Cymbidium Twilight Moon ‘Day Light’ has been developed through a new medium, Teixeira Cymbidium (TC) medium. Two new TC media containing variable amounts of macroand micronutrients and other additives, inspired by Winarto and Teixeira (WT) medium for Anthurium and Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium were used to induce PLBs and callus. Control medium was research- and industry-standard Vacin and Went (VW) medium. The first TC medium, TCPLB, could induce significantly more PLBs than on VW while high levels of macronutrients in the second TC medium, TCCALLUS, and MS were required to induce callus. All PLB induction media contained 0.1 mg/l α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and 0.1 mg/l kinetin (KIN), 2 g/l tryptone and 20 g/l sucrose, and solidified with 8 g/l Bacto agar while callusinduction media were identical, except that KIN was substituted by thidiazuron (TDZ). Basal medium had a significant effect on PLB and callus formation. This protocol could be used to induce PLBs and callus from other Cymbidium species or cultivars.

Assessment of genetic variation and identification of species-specific ISSR markers in five species of Cymbidium (Orchidaceae)

Thirty-five inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers were used to analyze the genetic variation in Cymbidium spp. High number of polymorphic bands (217) with overall 90 % of polymorphism at inter-specific level was observed. Cumulative genetic similarity ranged from 0.40–0.93 with an average value of 66 % among the species. At intra-specific level, average polymorphism detected, ranged from 29.8 to 69.9 % within the five species of Cymbidium. All the species were apparently endowed with low genetic variation at intra-specific level compared to inter-specific level. UPGMA clustering evidently distinguished the representatives of C. aloifolium and C. tigrinum which may be linked to entirely different climatic conditions in which they grow, besides their discrete morphological characteristics. Nine ISSR primers revealed 11 unique species-specific banding patterns belonging to three Cymbidiums, which can further developed as SCAR markers. Thus, present investigation provides valuable baseline data of genetic variation in five species of Cymbidium and addresses the conservation concerns of this horticulturally important orchid.

Endomitosis in tapetal cells of some Cymbidiums (Orchidaceae)

True endomitosis in the anther tapetum of the three Cymbidium species viz. C. aloifolium, C. devonianum and C. tigrinum is described. In these Cymbidiums, most tapetal cells go through endomitosis instead of either normal mitosis or so called “inhibited” mitosis. The nuclear membrane does not disappear, but during metaphase the chromosomes are considerably condensed far more than in normal mitosis, and nucleolus persists throughout the endomitotic cycle. Endomitosis may not be unusual to the tapetal cells of these peculiar Cymbidiums but may have a wider application and explain many of the cytological phenomena occurring in the tapetal cells of other plants. Further, physical localization of 45S rRNA genes during endomitotic divisions may help to confirm their atypical activities as well as provide insight into the course and degree of tapetum polyploidization. Analysis of DNA-methylation levels is also recommended for understanding the role of nucleolus for spindle formation during endomitosis.

Physical localization and probable transcriptional activity of 18S–5.8S–26S rRNA gene loci in some Asiatic Cymbidiums (Orchidaceae) from north-east India

Fluorescence in situ hybridization based physical localization of 45S ribosomal DNA in eight horticulturally important species of Cymbidium (Orchidaceae) from north-east India (South-East Asia) has been carried for the first time. Observations revealed only one pair of chromosomes had NOR loci. Three, out of eight Cymbidiums showed decondensed, dispersed, extended form of hybridization signals of rDNA as dots of fluorescence (transcriptionally active), where as the rest of the Cymbidiums revealed condensed (non-active) forms, hence demonstrated the heteromorphism in size, intensities and their appurtenance which may be under epigenetic control. Except for the ribosomal genes, no other active genes have been reported to reside within the nucleoli. Such observations provide useful chromosome landmarks and provide valuable evidence about the genome evolution, speciation and ploidy both at molecular and chromosomal levels which is more or less highly ambiguous in family Orchidaceae.

DNA barcoding of the Cymbidium species (Orchidaceae) in Thailand

The objective of the research is to achieve molecular markers for an economical, ornamental plant group in agriculture worldwide. These plants, Cymbidium aloifolium, Cymbidium atropurpureum, Cymbidium bicolor, Cymbidium chloranthum, Cymbidium dayanum, Cymbidium devonianum, Cymbidium ensifolium, Cymbidium finlaysonianum, Cymbidium haematodes, Cymbidium insigne, Cymbidium lancifolium, Cymbidium lowianum, Cymbidium mastersii, Cymbidium munronianum, Cymbidium rectum, Cymbidium roseum, Cymbidium sinense, Cymbidium tigrinum, and Cymbidium tracyanum in Thailand have been explored, collected and identified. DNA barcoding for a species specific marker was performed in order to provide further rapid, accurate, and automatable species identification for plants lacking flowers or having incomplete morphological characteristics and for the young plants that are massively grown on orchid cutting flower farms. The sequences of four standard regions as barcodes were tested for genetic distances. The genetic distances, means nucleotide variations in tag sequences based on rpoB, rpoC1, matK, and trnH-psbA spacer region sequences of the 19 species ranging from 0.012 to 0.546, 0.018 to 0.546, 0.052 to 0.385, and 0.026 to 0.528, respectively. DNA barcoding shows promise for molecular-based identification of Cymbidium species. The sequences have been deposited in GenBank. Key words: Cymbidium, matK, rpoB, rpoC1, species diversity, trnH-psbA.

Studies on the in vitro regenerative competence of aerial roots of two horticultural important Cymbidium species

In the present study aerial roots were successfully used as explants source for in vitro propagation of Cymbidium aloifolium and Cymbidium iridioides. Aerial roots of ~5–6 week old from axenic cultures were cultured on MS medium adjuncts with different additives. In C. aloifolium within 20 days of culture ~60% of explants responded positively on MS medium containing sucrose (3%, w/v) and Kn (3 μM) and formed PLBs. While in C. iridioides ~50% root explants responded positively on medium enriched with sucrose (3%), AC (0.1%) and IAA (3 μM) after 40 days of culture. The shoot buds/PLBs converted into plantlets when maintained on regeneration medium. Of the three basal media tested, MS medium supported optimum regeneration and culture proliferation in both the species. In C. aloifolium ~12 shoot buds developed on medium nourished with sucrose (3%) and BA (3 μM) but in C. iridioides optimum regeneration was achieved when medium supplemented with sucrose (3%), CW (15%), CH (100 mg L−1) and ~20 shoot buds formed per subculture. The well rooted plantlets were acclimatized for 3–4 week in 1/10th MS salt solution containing sucrose (1%), charcoal pieces, brick pieces and chopped mosses as support under normal laboratory conditions. The hardened plants were transferred to potting mix where 80 and 75% of transplants survived in C. aloifolium and C. iridioides respectively after 2 months of transfer.

Assessment of phylogenetic inter-relationships in the genus Cymbidium (Orchidaceae) based on internal transcribed spacer region of rDNA

Sequence data obtained from nrITS region were used to assess phylogenetic inter-relationships and infrageneric classification of ten Cymbidium species collected from north-east India. The final aligned data matrix of combined ITS 1, 5.8S and ITS 2 yielded 684 characters. The ITS 1 and ITS 2 regions showed variable sequence lengths and G+C content (%). The 5.8S region was found to be more conserved (98.71%) followed by ITS 1 (86.12%) and ITS 2 (69.40%). ITS 2 recorded highest percentage of parsimony informative sites (7.46%), high sequence divergence with indels (24.63%), high number of transitions and transversions. ITS sequence data determined the phylogeny of Asiatic Cymbidiums with high bootstrap values. All three proposed subgenera could be distinguished clearly by all four (MP, ML, NJ, and BI) phylogenetic methods. This study validates the utility of ITS rDNA region as a reliable indicator of phylogenetic relationships, especially ITS 2 as probable DNA barcode at higher levels and can serve as an additional approach for identification of broader range of plant taxa especially orchids.

Analysis of population structure revealed apparent genetic disturbance in Korea Cymbidium collection

The Oriental genus Cymbidium contains some of the most important and popular species of ornamental orchids in Korea. Genetic characterization of Cymbidium is vital for its conservation and management, as well as for understanding the genetic relationships among accessions. Among 100 tested accessions, 226 alleles were detected with an average of 16.1 alleles per simple sequence repeat locus; the number of alleles ranged from 28 for the KNU-CC-32 locus to 7 for KNU-CC-25. The allele size ranged from 103 to 380 bp. Thirteen loci were deviated from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium, and showed highly significant linkage disequilibrium ( P < 0.01). These results indicate that influencing disturbance in the Cymbidium population, such as natural selection and/or human intervention (i.e., plant breeding), are taking place among the species in Korea. The values for heterozygosity ranged from 0.000 to 0.969, with a mean value of 0.402. The average gene diversity and polymorphism information content values were 0.679 and 0.656, respectively, and ranged from 0.223 (KNU-CC-52) to 0.936 (KNU-CC-32) and from 0.219 (KNU-CC-52) to 0.933 (KNU-CC-32), respectively. All Cymbidium accessions were put into three main groups, and no evidence of mixed population ancestry was observed among the three populations identified. Cymbidium sinensis is not as well distributed and abundant as C. goeringii in Korea. Cymbidium goeringii is endemic in Korea. The genetic diversity in Cymbidium is not related to geographical area, which indicates that the species are randomly distributed in Korea. Our finding helps explain the genetic relationships and the population structure of Cymbidium species in Korea.

Single primer amplification reaction (SPAR) reveals inter- and intra-specific natural genetic variation in five species of Cymbidium (Orchidaceae)

A total of 53 primers belonging to three SPAR methods, viz. RAPD, ISSR and DAMD, collectively produced 456 polymorphic amplicons with 96.6% polymorphism at inter-specific level in five species of Cymbidium, viz. C . aloifolium, C. mastersii, C. elegans, C. eburneum and C. tigrinum, whereas at intra-specific level, the observed polymorphism ranged from 51.2% to 77.1% among them. Three SPARs collectively revealed 25 unique species-specific amplicons; most of them were amplified with RAPD and DAMD primers besides few bands which were either missed (absent) or lost (heterozygosity). UPGMA clustering evidently distinguished the representatives of C. aloifolium and C. tigrinum, with distinct genetic distance, which may be due to their entirely different habitats as well as discrete morphological characteristics. Upon analysis of the data generated, all the three SPAR methods, either independently and/or in combination, revealed wide range of genetic variation between and within five species of Cymbidium. Comparison of matrix of individual SPAR method revealed that analysis of natural genetic variation using combination of SPAR methods, rather than an isolated approach, is highly effective. The critical analyses of the amplicon data are indicative of DAMD as the most powerful SPAR method by showing highest resolving power (Rp) followed by ISSR and RAPD. Alternatively, the total polymorphic information content was highest in case of RAPD followed by other two SPAR methods. Thus, the present investigation for the first time provides a valuable baseline data for genetic variation at inter- and intra-specific levels in horticultural Cymbidiums and also addresses conservation concerns.