Editorial: Orchid genomics and developmental biology, volume II

Orchidaceae constitute the second-largest flowering plant family worldwide with over 27,000 species found on all continents except Antarctica. Orchids are frequently celebrated for their exceptional morphological and ecological diversity and are highly valued in the horticultural trade. Orchids exhibit distinct floral and physiological features, such as fused male and female flower parts forming the gynostemium, a floral lip often adorned with calli, glands, spurs, and distinctive color patterns, and the crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM), a water-saving physiological pathway which has evolved multiple times independently within the family. Orchids possess highly specialized ecological relationships, such as often speciesspecific plant-pollinator interactions including food-and sexual deception and dependence on mycorrhizal fungi for germination of their minute seed. The broad range of traits renders orchids prime non-model plants for elucidating the genomic underpinnings and regulatory networks responsible for the generation of this exceptional diversity. To keep exploring such an interesting research field, this volume continues our previous Research Topic entitled "Orchid Genomics and Developmental Biology" (Chen and Nargar) to showcase recent findings and providing novel insights into regulatory mechanisms underpinning orchid biologies, such as reproductive development, responses to biotic and abiotic stresses, visual mimicry of orchid flowers, and bioactive metabolic pathways.