Register      Login
Australian Journal of Botany Australian Journal of Botany Society
Southern hemisphere botanical ecosystems
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Ex situ germplasm preservation and plant regeneration of a threatened terrestrial orchid, Caladenia huegelii, through micropropagation and cryopreservation

Betty Mauliya Bustam A B C , Kingsley Dixon A B D and Eric Bunn A B E
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A School of Plant Biology, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.

B Kings Park and Botanic Garden, Fraser Avenue, West Perth, WA 6005, Australia.

C Mathematics and Natural Sciences Faculty, Syiah Kuala University, Jl. Syech Abdurrauf No. 3, Darussalam, Banda Aceh 23 111, Indonesia.

D Department of Environment and Agriculture, Curtin University, Kent Street, Perth, WA 6102, Australia.

E Corresponding author. Email: eric.bunn@bgpa.wa.gov.au

Australian Journal of Botany 64(8) 659-663 https://doi.org/10.1071/BT16061
Submitted: 1 April 2015  Accepted: 1 November 2016   Published: 29 November 2016

Abstract

Caladenia huegelii Rchb.f. is a threatened obligate mycotrophic orchid species with limited distribution in its remaining habitat, hence, this study to develop ex situ conservation protocols. An asymbiotic seed germination protocol was used to generate primary protocorms that were then used to proliferate secondary (adventitious protocorms). Both primary and secondary protocorms were utilised for development of a cryopreservation protocol. An average 94% germination of C. huegelii seeds occurred on ½ MS medium with 5% (v/v) coconut water) and 43% primary protocorms formed secondary (adventitious) protocorms) on ½ MS (– CW) + 5µM ∝-naphthaleneacetic acid + 2 µM BAP. Incubation at a constant 20 ± 0.5°C after cryopreservation significantly increased regeneration of both primary and secondary protocorms at 79 and 45%, respectively, compared with 46 and 19% at a higher, more variable standard culture temperature range (22−26°C). Seedlings were successfully regenerated from both cryopreserved primary and secondary protocorms, but only plantlets derived from primary protocorms were investigated for transfer to soil, where 88% plantlets survived, with sustained growth (average leaf length increase of 4.1 cm) after 12 weeks. This study demonstrates that plantlets derived from cryopreserved asymbiotically-produced protocorms can be established in soil and provide a feasible option to facilitate conservation and development of restoration protocols for endangered terrestrial orchids.

Additional keywords: ex situ conservation, threatened species.


References

Arditti J, Ernst R (1993) ‘Micropropagation of orchids.’ (Wiley: New York)

Backhouse GN (2007) Are our orchids safe down under? A national assessment of threatened orchids in Australia. Lankesteriana 7, 28–43.

Batty AL, Dixon KW, Brundrett M, Sivasithamparam K (2001a) Constraints to symbiotic germination of terrestrial orchid seed in Mediterranean bushland. New Phytologist 152, 511–520.
Constraints to symbiotic germination of terrestrial orchid seed in Mediterranean bushland.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Batty AL, Dixon KW, Brundrett M, Sivasithamparam K (2001b) Long-term storage of mycorrhizal fungi and seed as a tool for the conservation of endangered Western Australian terrestrial orchids. Australian Journal of Botany 49, 619–628.
Long-term storage of mycorrhizal fungi and seed as a tool for the conservation of endangered Western Australian terrestrial orchids.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Batty AL, Brundrett MC, Dixon KW, Sivasithamparam K (2006) New methods to improve symbiotic propagation of temperate terrestrial orchid seedlings from axenic culture to soil. Australian Journal of Botany 54, 367–374.
New methods to improve symbiotic propagation of temperate terrestrial orchid seedlings from axenic culture to soil.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Bustam BM, Dixon KW, Bunn E (2014a) In vitro propagation of temperate Australian terrestrial orchids: revisiting asymbiotic compared to symbiotic germination. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 176, 556–566.
In vitro propagation of temperate Australian terrestrial orchids: revisiting asymbiotic compared to symbiotic germination.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Bustam BM, Dixon KW, Bunn E (2014b) Proliferation and harvesting of secondary protocorms as a novel means for improving propagation of terrestrial orchids. Australian Journal of Botany 62, 614–621.
Proliferation and harvesting of secondary protocorms as a novel means for improving propagation of terrestrial orchids.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Department of the Environment and Energy (2016) Species profile and threats database. Available at http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicshowcommunity.pl?id=131&status=Endangered [Verified 4 November 2016].

Dixon KW, Hopper SD (2009) An introduction to Caladenia R.Br. – Australasia’s jewel among terrestrial orchids. Australian Journal of Botany 57, i–vii.
An introduction to Caladenia R.Br. – Australasia’s jewel among terrestrial orchids.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

FloraBase (2016) FloraBase. The Western Australian flora. Available at http://florabase.dec.wa.gov.au [Verified 5 November 2016].

Hay FR, Merritt DJ, Soanes JA, Dixon KW (2010) Comparative longevity of Australian orchid (Orchidaceae) seeds under experimental and low temperature storage conditions. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 164, 26–41.
Comparative longevity of Australian orchid (Orchidaceae) seeds under experimental and low temperature storage conditions.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Hopper SD, Brown AP (2004) Robert Brown’s Caladenia revisited, including a revision of its sister genera Cyanicula, Ericksonella and Pheladenia (Caladeniinae: Orchidaceae). Australian Systematic Botany 17, 171–240.
Robert Brown’s Caladenia revisited, including a revision of its sister genera Cyanicula, Ericksonella and Pheladenia (Caladeniinae: Orchidaceae).Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Kores PJ, Molvray M, Weston PH, Hopper SD, Brown AP, Cameron KM, Chase MW (2001) A phylogenetic analysis of Diurideae (Orchidaceae) based on plastid DNA sequence data. American Journal of Botany 88, 1903–1914.
A phylogenetic analysis of Diurideae (Orchidaceae) based on plastid DNA sequence data.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD3MXot1Knu7k%3D&md5=c26ac1d6672c50b5a05577a1c7178112CAS |

Murashige T, Skoog F (1962) A revised medium for rapid growth and bio assays with tobacco tissue cultures. Physiologia Plantarum 15, 473–497.
A revised medium for rapid growth and bio assays with tobacco tissue cultures.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DyaF3sXksFKm&md5=a741b15dee1eef76288f59f00b67bd3dCAS |

R Core Team (2014) R: A language and environment for statistical computing. (R Foundation for Statistical Computing: Vienna, Austria) Available at http://www.R-project.org/ [Verified 6 November 2016].

Sakai A, Kobayashi S, Oiyama I (1990) Cryopreservation of nucellar cells of naval orange (Citrus sinensis Osb. var. brasiliensis Tanaka) by vitrification. Plant Cell Reports 9, 30–33.
Cryopreservation of nucellar cells of naval orange (Citrus sinensis Osb. var. brasiliensis Tanaka) by vitrification.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:STN:280:DC%2BC2c7mt1Wntg%3D%3D&md5=6d8eeb802e57a712e1bbb6cfb018390aCAS |

Swarts ND, Sinclair EA, Krauss SL, Dixon KW (2007) Characterization of microsatellite loci in the endangered grand spider orchid Caladenia huegelii (Orchidaceae). Molecular Ecology Notes 7, 1141–1143.
Characterization of microsatellite loci in the endangered grand spider orchid Caladenia huegelii (Orchidaceae).Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD1cXlslShsg%3D%3D&md5=23b1788bf34975c4c8e8286f8eb8b5ccCAS |

Swarts ND (2007) Integrated conservation of the rare and endangered terrestrial orchid Caladenia huegelii H.G. Reichb. PhD thesis. School of Plant Biology, The University of Western Australia, Perth.

Swarts ND, Sinclair EA, Krauss SL, Dixon KW (2009) Genetic diversity in fragmented populations of the critically endangered spider orchid Caladenia huegelii: implications for conservations. Conservation Genetics 10, 1199–1208.
Genetic diversity in fragmented populations of the critically endangered spider orchid Caladenia huegelii: implications for conservations.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Swarts ND, Sinclair EA, Francis A, Dixon KW (2010) Ecological specialization in mycorrhizal symbiosis leads to rarity in an endangered orchid. Molecular Ecology 19, 3226–3242.
Ecological specialization in mycorrhizal symbiosis leads to rarity in an endangered orchid.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC3cXhtFCgtbrP&md5=7d3ff5fea0bf83681aed5b65ff680d23CAS |

Western Australian Government Gazette (2015) Wildlife Conservation (Rare Flora) Notice 2015, 3 November 2015. pp. 4525–4531. Available at: https://www.slp.wa.gov.au/gazette/gazette.nsf/searchgazette/CAD6A4A88A0FA7AF48257EF00083C4C7/$file/Gg166.pdf [Verified 4 November 2016].