Microsatellite Dataset for Cultivar Discrimination in Spring Orchid (Cymbidium goeringii)

Area of Science:

• Horticultural Science
• Plant Genetics
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Cymbidium goeringii, the spring orchid, is a highly valued horticultural species in East Asia.
• Cultivars of C. goeringii originate from rare wild phenotypes, making genetic authenticity crucial.
• Existing authentication methods may not be sufficient for distinguishing numerous cultivars.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine cultivar-specific combined genotypes (CGs) of short sequence repeats (SSRs) in Cymbidium goeringii.
• To assess the genetic diversity and population structure among C. goeringii cultivars.
• To establish a reliable method for the forensic authentication of C. goeringii cultivars.

Main Methods:

• Genotyping of 12 SSR markers across over 4000 samples from 67 C. goeringii cultivars.
• Analysis of combined genotypes (CGs) to identify cultivar-specific profiles.
• Phylogenetic analysis including dendrogram and principal coordinate analysis.

Main Results:

• High discriminatory power was achieved with an average observed allele number of 11.8 per marker and a combined matching probability of 3.118 × 10^-11.
• The most frequent combined genotype (CG1) was found in an average of 70.1% of individuals within cultivars, with significant variation.
• Phylogenetic analyses showed grouping by country of origin, but low overall genetic differentiation among cultivars.

Conclusions:

• A significant proportion (estimated ~30%) of C. goeringii in markets may not be genuine to their claimed cultivar.
• SSR profiling provides a robust dataset for ecogenetic studies and forensic authentication of C. goeringii.
• Implementing genetic authentication is recommended for the trade of high-value C. goeringii cultivars to ensure authenticity.