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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:

Amphibian

Estimated genome size:

Size:

115 to 147mm

Distribution:

This species is restricted to a narrow coastal strip from the Cape Peninsula to Agulhas National Park, with intermediate populations now locally extinct.

PromethION Sequencing Report:

Output:

135.64 Gigabases

Approximate N50:

3.53 kilobases

Assembly N50:

81.63 kilobases

Contig number:

110 518

Draft Genome Assembly Statistics:

Assembler used:

TBA

Genome Length:

3.6 Gigabases

BUSCO completeness score (single and duplicated genes):

86.7% [S: 86.3%, D: 0.4%]

BUSCO database:

TBA

Sclerophrys pantherina

Western Leopard Toad

Species Card Details

Importance:

The Western Leopard Toad is a narrow endemic of the Western Cape, South Africa, with several populations already lost. The remaining few are critical to the species’ survival. Although it has shown some adaptability to urban and agricultural landscapes, it persists only in these heavily modified areas. Growing threats in these environments place the remaining, genetically distinct, populations at high risk of extinction.

Sample Contributor contact details:

Dr Jessica da Silva
South African National Biodiversity Institute

Date Published:

2025-06-23

Photo credit:

© L. Verburgt

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