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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:

Tracheophyta

Estimated genome size:

768M Million DNA base pairs (0,77 Giga bases)

Organism size:

30 cm

Distribution:

Winter rainfall regions of South Africa, invasive in the Mediterranean, California, Australia and Chile (and many other regions).

PromethION Sequencing Report:

Output:

127.35 Gigabases

Approximate N50:

7.76 kilobases

Oxalis pes-caprae

Bermuda buttercup

Species Card Details

Draft Genome Assembly Statistics:

Genome Length:

293.15 Mb

BUSCO completeness score (single and duplicated genes):

98%

Importance:

This South African species is one of the world's worst weeds, and causes massive damage to invaded ecosystems as it forms monocultures that crowd out native plants. It is almost impossible to eradicate due to extensive clonal reproduction through bulbils. Sequencing the genome of this species may offer us insights into possible management mechanisms.

Sample Contributor contact details

Dr Kenneth Oberlander
University of Pretoria

Photo credit:

© F.W. Becker

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