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Group:
Eudicot
Estimated genome size:
1.5 m in height
Size:
1.5 m in height
Distribution:
Brunia noduliflora occurs from the Cederberg southwards to the Cape Peninsula and eastwards as far as the Cockscomb in the Groot Winterhoek Mountains of the Eastern Cape, at altitudes from near sea level to approximately 1 500 m.
PromethION Sequencing Report:
Output:
39.88 Gigabases
Approximate N50:
16.91 kilobases
Draft Genome Assembly Statistics:
Genome Length:
0.72 Gigabases
BUSCO completeness score (single and duplicated genes):
97.40% [S: 47.0%, D: 50.0%]
Importance:
Brunia noduliflora is the most widespread species in the subgenus Brunia and occurs across diverse fynbos habitats in the Cape Floristic Region. Its broad ecological range makes it valuable for studying diversification and adaptation within the Bruniaceae.
Group:
Eudicot
Genome size:
991 million DNA base pairs (0.99 Gigabases)
Size:
0.5 – 1 meter in height
Distribution:
Lessertia frutescens occurs naturally throughout the dry parts of southern Africa – in Western Cape and up the west coast as far north as Namibia and into Botswana, and in the western Karoo to Eastern Cape. It is also found in KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga. It shows remarkable variation within its distribution
PromethION Sequencing Report:
Output:
225.29 Gigabases
Approximate N50:
1.74 kilobases
Assembly N50:
TBA
Contig number:
TBA
Draft Genome Assembly Statistics:
Assembler used:
TBA
Genome Length:
0.45 Gigabases
BUSCO completeness score (single and duplicated genes):
94.3% [S: 90.8%, D: 3.5%]
BUSCO database:
TBA
Lessertia frutescens
Cancer bush

Importance:
This plant is one of the most discussed in the ethnobotanical world because it has a strong reputation as a cure for cancer and increasingly as an immune booster in the treatment of HIV/AIDS. It has long been known, used and respected as a medicinal plant in southern Africa. There is preliminary clinical evidence that it has a direct anti-cancer effect in some cancers and that it acts as an immune stimulant. Research on its properties is ongoing.
Sample Contributor contact details:
Thabang Makola
South African National Biodiversity Institute
Date Published:
2025-03-12
Photo credit:
© T. Makola
Flora
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