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Group:
Reptile
Estimated genome size:
17 cm maximum (total body length).
Size:
17 cm maximum (total body length).
Distribution:
It is found in the Eastern Cape, Free State, Western Cape and Northern Cape
provinces of South Africa.
PromethION Sequencing Report:
Output:
89.36 Gigabases
Approximate N50:
6.51 kilobases
Draft Genome Assembly Statistics:
Genome Length:
4.53 Gigabases
BUSCO completeness score (single and duplicated genes):
99.6% [Single: 50.6%, Duplicated: 49%]
Importance:
The greater padloper tortoise is endemic to South Africa and contributes to ecosystem stability in the Karoo. As the largest species in the genus Homopus, it is of scientific interest for studies of limb development, as it is one of only two Homopus species with four digits on each foot.
Sample Contributor contact details:
Zhongning Zhao
University of the Free State
Group:
Eudicot
Estimated genome size:
Size:
1 m
Distribution:
Plectranthus madagascariensis occurs in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces of South Africa, to the Mascarene Islands in the Western Indian ocean. Plants are usually found in shaded subtropical thickets, on dry rocky outcrops and forest margins.
PromethION Sequencing Report:
Output:
38.75 Gigabases
Approximate N50:
32.04 kilobases
Assembly N50:
7 391.89 kilobases
Contig number:
509
Draft Genome Assembly Statistics:
Assembler used:
Hifiasm
Genome Length:
1.18 Gigabases
BUSCO completeness score (single and duplicated genes):
99.6% [S: 83.1%, D: 15.5%]
BUSCO database:
viridiplantae
Plectranthus madagascariensis
Thicket Coleus
Importance:
Plectranthus species are used in traditional medicine for coughs, colds, and scabies, and their pungent foliage helps repel flies. They are hardy, water-wise, and widely cultivated locally and internationally as ornamental foliage plants, with variegated forms especially valued, contributing to their role in the bioeconomy.
Date Published:
2026-04-21
Photo credit:
© M. Thompson
Flora
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