Sinocurculigo, a new genus of Hypoxidaceae from China based on molecular and morphological evidence.

Background: The monocot family Hypoxidaceae consists of nine genera with nearly 200 species. They occur mostly in the Southern Hemisphere with only a few species in the Northern Hemisphere, of which three genera, Hypoxis, Molineria, and Curculigo, with eight species are distributed in China. Recently, we have found a hypoxid-like plant in China that is quite different in floral structure from any of the three genera and even of the known taxa in Hypoxidaceae.

Evolution and biogeography of the slipper orchids: Eocene vicariance of the conduplicate genera in the Old and New World Tropics.

Intercontinental disjunctions between tropical regions, which harbor two-thirds of the flowering plants, have drawn great interest from biologists and biogeographers. Most previous studies on these distribution patterns focused on woody plants, and paid little attention to herbs. The Orchidaceae is one of the largest families of angiosperms, with a herbaceous habit and a high species diversity in the Tropics.

The anther steps onto the stigma for self-fertilization in a slipper orchid.

Background: Due to the spatial separation between male and female pollen grains from the anther of most flowering plants, including orchids, pollens are transported by wind or animals and deposited onto the receptive surface of the stigma of a different plant. However, self-pollination is common in pollinating animal-scarce habitats. In such habitats, self-pollinations require the assistance of a pollinating agent (e.

C- and D-class MADS-box genes from Phalaenopsis equestris (Orchidaceae) display functions in gynostemium and ovule development.

Gynostemium and ovule development in orchid are unique developmental processes in the plant kingdom. Characterization of C- and D-class MADS-box genes could help reveal the molecular mechanisms underlying gynostemium and ovule development in orchids. In this study, we isolated and characterized a C- and a D-class gene, PeMADS1 and PeMADS7, respectively, from Phalaenopsis equestris.

Predicted disappearance of Cephalantheropsis obcordata in Luofu Mountain due to changes in rainfall patterns.

Background: In the past century, the global average temperature has increased by approximately 0.74°C and extreme weather events have become prevalent. Recent studies have shown that species have shifted from high-elevation areas to low ones because the rise in temperature has increased rainfall.

Paraholcoglossum and Tsiorchis, two new orchid genera established by molecular and morphological analyses of the Holcoglossum alliance.

Background: Holcoglossum is a small orchid genus of 12 species ranging from SW China to Thailand and NE India. Although molecular and morphological analyses have been performed to establish the phylogenetic relationships within this genus, the interspecific relations and its relations with allied genera, such as Rhynchostylis, Aerides and Vanda, remain unclear.

Methodology/principal Findings: In addition to morphological analysis, maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian inference analyses were performed based on fragments of the nuclear ITS and chloroplast trnL-F and matK genes of 31 taxa (15 Holcoglossum, 14 Aeridinae, 2 outgroups) representing all major clades of the Holcoglossum alliance.

Molecular phylogeny of Cypripedium (Orchidaceae: Cypripedioideae) inferred from multiple nuclear and chloroplast regions.

A molecular analysis was performed on 56 taxa in the orchid genus Cypripedium using nrDNA ITS and five chloroplast regions (trnH-psbA, atpI-atpH, trnS-trnfM, trnL-F spacer, and the trnL intron). The genus Cypripedium was confirmed as monophyletic. Our data provided strong support for monophyletic grouping of eight infrageneric sections (Subtropica, Obtusipetala, Trigonopedia, Sinopedilum, Bifolia, Flabelinervia, Arietinum, and Cypripedium) defined in earlier taxonomic treatments, and paraphyletic grouping of two sections (Irapeana and Retinervi).

Duplicated C-class MADS-box genes reveal distinct roles in gynostemium development in Cymbidium ensifolium (Orchidaceae).

The orchid floral organs represent novel and effective structures for attracting pollination vectors. In addition, to avoid inbreeding, the androecium and gynoecium are united in a single structure termed the gynostemium. Identification of C-class MADS-box genes regulating reproductive organ development could help determine the level of homology with the current ABC model of floral organ identity in orchids.

OrchidBase: a collection of sequences of the transcriptome derived from orchids.

Orchids are one of the most ecological and evolutionarily significant plants, and the Orchidaceae is one of the most abundant families of the angiosperms. Genetic databases will be useful not only for gene discovery but also for future genomic annotation. For this purpose, OrchidBase was established from 37,979,342 sequence reads collected from 11 in-house Phalaenopsis orchid cDNA libraries.

Pollination: self-fertilization strategy in an orchid.

Mating in flowering plants normally relies on animals, wind, gravity or secretion to convey pollen grains from the male (anther) to the female (stigma) organ. Here we describe a new type of self-pollination mechanism in the tree-living orchid Holcoglossum amesianum, in which the bisexual flower turns its anther against gravity through 360 degrees in order to insert pollen into its own stigma cavity - without the aid of any pollinating agent or medium. This mode of self-pollination, which occurs under windless, drought conditions when insects are scarce, adds to the variety of mechanisms that have evolved in angiosperms to ensure their reproductive success.

[Evaluation on clinical therapeutic effect of needle-knife therapy on cervical spondylosis].

Objective: To compare therapeutic effects of needle-knife therapy and acupuncture on cervical spondylosis.

Methods: Multi-central clinical randomized controlled trial was adopted. The patients were divided into a needle-knife treatment group treated with needle-knife therapy at the upper and lower interspinal ligaments of the affected vertebral body and bilateral posterior joint capsules; and the acupuncture control group were treated with acupuncture at Laozhen, Ashi points and cervical Jiaji points, etc.