Application of DNA barcoding for conservation of orchid species in Yogyakarta

DNA barcoding has been implemented to study many plant species, including orchids. Entry data for DNA barcoding in Genbank NCBI recorded only around 408 nucleotide sequences of Indonesian orchids, which were dominated by Phalaenopsis spp. The most studied are the ITS DNA region, followed by the chloroplast intergenic region (trnL-trnF) and genes (rpl16, matK, and rbcL). The most studied were the genera Phalaenopsis, Goodyera, Dendrobium, and Corybas. The karst area in Yogyakarta has potential as a habitat for wild orchids; at least 30 species have been found in this area. During our recent exploration in two locations, 47 orchids were collected, and most of them were identified using morphological characteristics, while 12 specimens remain unidentified. This study was aimed at observing the discrimination power of three DNA barcoding markers (ITS, rbcl, and matK) to identify 23 specimens of wild orchids collected from the karst area of Yogyakarta. The proper identification of wild species of orchids will be useful for establishing conservation and the prospective utilization of these species. © 2025 Institute of Physics Publishing. All rights reserved.