An update on orchid diversity in Malaysia, threat, conservation status and challenges in a changing climate

Orchidaceae is one of the largest angiosperm families found in Malaysia. Botanical exploration for orchids in various forests and vegetation types since 1999 to date have revealed tremendous changes in species diversity and distribution in Malaysia, being home for more than 4000 species of wild orchids with numbers still increasing today. New species to science and new records to Malaysia numbered between 10-20 new species and up to 50 new records were published yearly since 2010. From my team’s account, a total of 47 species are identified as new record to Peninsular Malaysia, which increased the total number to 1103 species in 155 genera of orchids. From these, more the 23% are endemic to Peninsular Malaysia and more than 400 species endemic to Sabah and Sarawak. As studies of orchid diversity continues, the number of species are doomed to change, it might increase in the future if more currently inaccessible vegetation are botanized and more specimens are collected, or it might decreases if rare and endemic species are vanishing due to habitat destruction and conversion to other land use. Apart from these, taxonomic and nomenclature study, too could affect the number of species. It decreases if some are reduced to synonymy or increase if some are raised from varieties, form, or subspecies to species or species complex identity is resolved into multiple genera or species. The environmental condition fluctuations or local climate change could increase or decrease this number, as some species flourished to certain changes; nevertheless some might succumb and lost forever. Major threats like deforestation, conversion of land use, over collecting of flagship species; uncontrolled borderless trades are making it almost impossible to determine the actual species diversity. However, one of the most critical set back for orchid documentation and conservation assessment is due to lack of orchid taxonomists in Malaysia, where there are less than a handful of us. Therefore, species diversity enumerations, conservation status evaluation, conservation plans, and actions are still the countries major challenges while many species slipped out of the country untraced, perished or extinct in the wild without being known of their existence

The comparison between nuclear ribosomal DNA and chloroplast DNA in molecular systematic study of four sections of genus Dendrobium sw. (Orchidaceae)

Phylogenetic study of the four sections (Aporum, Crumenata, Strongyle, and Bolbidium) of genus Dendrobium (family Orchidaceae) was conducted using molecular data. Classifications based on morphological characters have not being able to clearly divide these four sections neither do they supported their monophyly origin. Therefore, deeper and detailed analysis especially using molecular data is required to ascertain their status. Molecular evidences were used to clarify their relations either to lump them into one section or reduce them into two. The study has been carried out for the 34 species of Dendrobium using Maximum Parsimony (MP). Three nucleotide sequences data sets from two distinct genomes chloroplast DNA genes (rbcL and matK) and nuclear ribosomal DNA (ITS) were used to construct cladograms. The results that obtained from the Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) gene showed that the nuclear genes are reliable marker for the phylogenetic study of Dendrobium compared to chloroplast DNA with low resolution level among sections

Morphological study of four sections of genus Dendrobium Sw. (Orchidaceae) in Peninsular Malaysia

A morphological study of the four sections (Aporum, Crumenata, Strongyle, and Bolbidium) of the genus Dendrobium (family Orchidaceae) was conducted by using 18 morphological characters. One of the three largest Orchid genera in Orchidaceae is genus Dendrobium. This genus is distributed from South- East Asia, west to the Himalayas, east to Japan, and south to the Pacific Islands, New Zealand and Australia. Dendrobiums are one of the most popular orchids for their medicinal and commercial values. This plant occurs in the tropical regions with high annual rainfall and without a significant dry season for growth. In this study, 17 fresh samples of Dendrobium species were collected and identified upto the species level. The statistical analysis indicated he occurrence of two groups. The first group had four sections (Aporum, Crumenata, Strongyle and Bolbidium) and the other group had three sections (Dendrobium, Callista and Latouria), which were closely related. The morphological analysis showed that the four sections formed a monophyletic group compared to three other sections Dendrobium, Callista and Lautoria. The results demonstrated that sections Aporum, Crumenata, and Strongyle were close to one another and were grouped into one clade. Although section Bolbidium was close to them but it formed a different clade by itself. The three other sections included in the analysis formed a separate clade from these four sections .In all, according to the cluster and cladistics analysis, these four sections (Aporum, Crumenata, Strongyle and Bolbidium) can be put in the separate clade compared to the other sections of genus Dendrobium an can be named Aporum based on ICBN rules

Documentation of inherited knowledge on wild edible fungi from Malaysia

The gradual loss in traditional knowledge on wild edible fungi is a common phenomenon the world over, including Malaysia. A documentation of known edible fungi in Malaysia was executed, with the objective of salvaging traditional knowledge on the identification and edibility of these mushrooms, particularly from her village communities. Among those that have been successfully documented in this study were Cookeina and Galiella of the class Ascomycetes and Termitomyces, Schizophyllum, Hygrocybe, Lentinus, Calvatia, Calostoma and Auricularia, from the Basidiomycetes which make up a total of 13 or 14 species belonging to 9 genera. It is hoped that this documentation will contribute towards an updated scientific identification, including their genetic sequences in the near future

Assessment of soil properties on Nepenthes ampullaria density in tropical lowland forest: a case study in Imbak Canyon, Sabah, Malaysia

Identifying the appropriate soil properties and plants association are important to the success of sustainable forest management projects. A study on the relationship between soil properties and Nepenthes ampullaria in primary lowland tropical forest was conducted in Imbak Canyon Conservation Area (ICCA), Sabah, Malaysia. Here we assessed the soils properties in relation to the density of N. ampullaria and its association with other plants. A total of 30 plots of 10 x 10 m were established and six soil samples per plot were analyzed for their pH value, soil moisture, soil organic matter and trace element. A survey on other plants associated with N. ampullaria was conducted within the sample plots. All plants associated with the N. ampullaria found in the mixed dipterocarp forest, primary forest where the soils was acidic and poor in nutrient content. Families of plant found associated with N. ampullaria were higher in Annonaceae, Dipterocarpacea, Myrtaceae, Phyllanthaceae, Meliaceae and followed by other family in smaller quantity. These plants show well adaptation to the poor soils of their environment. We found the lowland primary rainforest in Imbak Canyon habitats provide a unique natural micro-habitat within the forests and the opportunity to better identify the role of soil ecosystem function in tropical soils

Isolation, similarity and subcellular localisation of transaldolase from sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum)

This study focused on isolation, cloning of TAL from sugarcane. Transaldolase is one of the enzymes of the Pentose Phosphate Pathway (PPP). Transaldolase in non-oxidative phase of OPPP transfer a three carbon dihydroxyacetone moiety from sedoheptulose-7-phosphate and glyceraldehyde-3-phophate to produce Erythrose-4-Phophate (E4P) and fructose-6-phophate. E4P is the precursor for many secondary metabolic pathways including aromatic amino acids, lignin and flavonoid synthesis. Earlier studies revealed that OPPP is incomplete in the cytosol of plants as no genes encoding for a cytosolic TAL. Moreover, there is no study about the TAL genes from sugarcane until to date. Thus, the objective of this study is to isolate TAL gene from sugarcane, to compare its similarity with other plants, to determine its subcellular localization. A total of 1601 bp of TAL has been isolated by PCR. Similarity, studies by ClustalW revealed that TAL show highest similarity (75%) with Zea mays. Analysis of subcellular localization by using Target 1.1 revealed that of TAL from sugarcane was not located in the plastidic

Molecular systematics of genus Bulbophyllum (Orchidaceae) in Peninsular Malaysia based on combined nuclear and plastid DNA sequences

Phylogenetic relationships were inferred for representative Bulbophyllum species of 13 sections from subtribe Bulbophyllinae (Epidendroideae, Orchidaceae) in Peninsular Malaysia. The combined data matrix consists of sequences from ITS nuclear gene region and trnL-F, matK, and rbcL plastid gene regions with 3114 characters. Molecular data were analysed using parsimony and Bayesian inference. The results show that several recognized sections are monophyletic. Section Hirtula with paraphyletic status must split up and section Desmosanthes contain misplaced elements. Furthermore, generic status of Cirrhopetalum and Epicrianthes cannot be supported, because they are deeply embedded within the genus Bulbophyllum. Section Desmosanthes is recognized as the closest group to section Cirrhopetalum; therefore, they can be merged in some aspects

The genus Teijsmanniodendron Koord. (Lamiaceae)

A revision of the genus Teijsmanniodendron Koord.(Lamiaceae) is presented with a summary of its taxonomic history, keys, full descriptions, distribution maps, conservation assessments, ecological information and ethno-botanical notes. In this treatment, 23 species are recognised, one new combination is made: Teijsmanniodendron havilandii (Ridl.) G. Rusea, 14 names are placed into synonymy for the first time, one species is neotypified, five are lectotypified and six new species are described: T. bullatum G. Rusea, T. latiffii G. Rusea, T. obscurinerve G.Rusea, T. punctatum G. Rusea, T. renageorgeae G. Rusea and T. zainudinii G. Rusea. One species name is validated, T.scaberrimum Kosterm. ex G. Rusea and one species is excluded from the genus: T. petelotii Moldenke

Cloning, expression and characterization of sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) transketolase

Pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) composed of two functionally-connected phases, the oxidative and non-oxidative phase. Both phases catalysed by a series of enzymes. Transketolase is one of key enzymes of non-oxidative phase in which transfer two carbon units from fructose-6-phosphate to erythrose-4-phosphate and convert glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate to xylulose-5-phosphate. In plant, erythrose-4-phosphate enters the shikimate pathway which is produces many secondary metabolites such as aromatic amino acids, flavonoids, lignin. Although transketolase in plant system is important, study of this enzyme is still limited. Until to date, TKT genes had been isolated only from seven plants species, thus, the aim of present study to isolate, study the similarity and phylogeny of transketolase from sugarcane. Unlike bacteria, fungal and animal, PPP is complete in the cytosol and all enzymes are found cytosolic. However, in plant, the oxidative phase found localised in the cytosol but the sub localisation for non-oxidative phase might be restricted to plastid. Thus, this study was conducted to determine subcellular localization of sugarcane transketolase. The isolation of sugarcane TKT was done by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, followed by cloning into pJET1.2 vector and sequencing. This study has isolated 2,327 bp length of sugarcane TKT. The molecular phylogenetic tree analysis found that transketolase from sugarcane and Zea mays in one group. Classification analysis found that both plants showed closer relationship due to both plants in the same taxon i.e. family Poaceae. Target P 1.1 and Chloro P predicted that the compartmentation of sugarcane transketolase is localised in the chloroplast which is 85 amino acids are plant plastid target sequence. This led to conclusion that the PPP is incomplete in the cytosol of sugarcane. This study also found that the similarity sequence of sugarcane TKT closely related with the taxonomy plants