top of page
Group:
Moncot
Estimated genome size:
50 to 100 cm in height
Size:
50 to 100 cm in height
Distribution:
Endemic to South Africa, the Miracle Clivia Lily is known to occur in the Oorlogskloof area near the town of Nieuwoudtville in the Northern Cape. The species has only been recorded in the Oorlogskloof Nature Reserve, where two subpopulations are found on the Bokkeveldberge plateau.
PromethION Sequencing Report:
Output:
426.45 Gigabases
Approximate N50:
12.38 kilobases
Draft Genome Assembly Statistics:
Genome Length:
15.12 Gigabases
BUSCO completeness score (single and duplicated genes):
99.3% [S: 69.9%, D: 29.4%]
Importance:
Clivia mirabilis survives in an unusually arid environment compared with other Clivia species, which is why it is known as the “miracle lily”. Its distinctive hardiness has made it desirable for breeders seeking to improve ornamental Clivia lines. However, heavy illegal poaching has removed thousands of plants from the wild. This leaves the remaining population dangerously small and at risk of extinction in its natural habitat.
Sample Contributor contact details:
Felix Middleton
Clivia Society of South Africa
Group:
Eudicot
Genome size:
1 390 million DNA base pairs (1.39 Gigabases)
Size:
150 – 300 millimeters in height
Distribution:
Restricted to the soft sandy coastal regions of the summer-dry Western Cape, from Langebaan to the Cape Flats, also with outliers in sandy regions near Worcester in the Breede River Valley. Always confined to open areas in full sun, in flat terrain or on dunes, in soft sand. It grows in the Strandveld Biome and especially common along the West Coast.
PromethION Sequencing Report:
Output:
52.64 Gigabases
Approximate N50:
10.5 kilobases
Assembly N50:
TBA
Contig number:
TBA
Draft Genome Assembly Statistics:
Assembler used:
TBA
Genome Length:
2.43 Gigabases
BUSCO completeness score (single and duplicated genes):
98.6% [S: 40.2%, D: 58.4%]
BUSCO database:
TBA
Carpanthea pomeridiana
Vetkousie

Importance:
A very useful edible plant formerly eaten by the Koi people, and by the colonists on the Cape Peninsula and Cape Flats. The young fleshy capsules are eaten as a lettuce or prepared in a stew. Collect the young fleshy fruits, boil and add to meat dishes. Vetkousie is also a popular garden annual, providing a show of golden flowers in spring.
Sample Contributor contact details:
Ernst van Jaarsveld
Babylonstoren Farms, University of Western Cape
Date Published:
2025-03-12
Photo credit:
© F. Riegel
bottom of page