AUTHOR=Li Yuling , Tong Yi , Xing Fuwu 

TITLE=DNA Barcoding Evaluation and Its Taxonomic Implications in the Recently Evolved Genus Oberonia Lindl. (Orchidaceae) in China

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=7

YEAR=2016

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2016.01791

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2016.01791

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=<p>The orchid genus <italic>Oberonia</italic> Lindl., is a taxonomically complex genus characterized by recent species radiations and many closely related species. All <italic>Oberonia</italic> species are under conservation as listed in the CITES and the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria. Given its difficulties in taxonomy and conservation status, <italic>Oberonia</italic> is an excellent model for developing DNA barcodes. Three analytical methods and five DNA barcoding regions (<italic>rbcL, matK, trnH-psbA</italic>, ITS, and ITS2) were evaluated on 127 individuals representing 40 species and 1 variety of <italic>Oberonia</italic> from China. All the three plastid candidates tested (<italic>rbcL, matK</italic>, and <italic>trnH-psbA</italic>) have a lower discriminatory power than the nuclear regions (ITS and ITS2), and ITS had the highest resolution rate (82.14%). Two to four combinations of these gene sets were not better than the ITS alone, but when considering modes of inheritance, <italic>rbcL</italic>+ITS and <italic>matK</italic>+ITS were the best barcodes for identifying <italic>Oberonia</italic> species. Furthermore, the present barcoding system has many new insights in the current <italic>Oberonia</italic> taxonomy, such as correcting species identification, resolving taxonomic uncertainties, and the underlying presence of new or cryptic species in a genus with a complex speciation history.</p>