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Phylum:
Angiosperms
Estimated genome size:
1O meters (height)
Organism size:
1O meters (height)
Distribution:
Schotia brachypetala occurs in warm dry areas in bushveld, deciduous woodland and scrub forest most often on the banks of rivers and streams or on old termite mounds at lower altitudes from around Umtata in the Eastern Cape, through KwaZulu Natal, Swaziland, Mpumalanga, Northern Province and into Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
PromethION Sequencing Report:
Output:
86.11 Gigabases
Approximate N50:
12.38 kilobases
Draft Genome Assembly Statistics:
Genome Length:
1333.64 Gigabases
BUSCO completeness score (single and duplicated genes):
98.4% [S85.2%, D:13.2%]
Importance:
Schotia brachypetala an exceptional ornamental tree and has a number of other uses including medicine, food, timber and as a dye. The seeds are edible after roasting, and although low in fat and protein they have a high carbohydrate content. Both the Bantu-speaking people and the early European settlers and farmers are said to have roasted the mature pods and eaten the seeds, a practice which they learned from the Khoikhoi. The timber was chiefly used in wagon making.
Sample Contributor contact details
Thabang Makola
South African National Biodiversity Institute
Phylum:
Angiosperms
Estimated genome size:
2280 million DNA base pairs (2.28 Gigabases)
Organism size:
2 meters (height)
Distribution:
Agathosma betulina has a restricted natural distribution area in the Western Cape. It is found on mountain slopes near Niewoudtville, Piketberg and Tulbagh and in the Cederberg Mountains.
PromethION Sequencing Report:
Output:
33.26 Gigabases
Approximate N50:
14.6 kilobases
Agathosma betulina
Bergboegoe
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Draft Genome Assembly Statistics:
Genome Length:
0.55 Gigabases
BUSCO completeness score (single and duplicated genes):
99.3% [S:82.2%, D:11.1%]
Importance:
Wild plants of this species are still plentiful but are being harvested faster than they can reproduce, posing a threat to the species' survival. This has led to efforts to cultivate them. The plant has been used by the indigenous people of South Africa as a folk remedy for various disorders, including urinary tract infections. The essential oils and extracts of the leaves are used as flavouring for teas, candy, and a liquor known as buchu brandy in South Africa. The two primary chemical constituents of the oils of A. betulina are isomenthone and diosphenol. The extract is said to taste like blackcurrant.
Sample Contributor contact details
Louisa Blomerus
Agricultural Research Council
Photo credit:
© L. Blomerus
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