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Group:
Eudicot
Estimated genome size:
0.3 meters in height.
Size:
0.3 meters in height.
Distribution:
Found in grassland habitats across Southern Africa.
PromethION Sequencing Report:
Output:
122.04 Gigabases
Approximate N50:
9.24 kilobases
Draft Genome Assembly Statistics:
Genome Length:
2.75 Gigabases
BUSCO completeness score (single and duplicated genes):
99.6% [S: 60.8%, D: 38.8%]
Importance:
Some populations of this species in the Barberton region of South Africa have evolved the ability to hyperaccumulate nickel, making this species ideal for a comparative genomics approach to understand the evolution of this extreme phenotype.
Group:
Monocot
Genome size:
739 million DNA base pairs (0.74 Gigabases)
Size:
2 meters in height
Distribution:
Native to South Africa, bird of paradise plants occurs naturally in the Eastern Cape, Western Cape, and KwaZulu-Natal. It grows along riverbanks and in coastal thickets.
PromethION Sequencing Report:
Output:
43.63 Gigabases
Approximate N50:
7.69 kilobases
Assembly N50:
TBA
Contig number:
TBA
Draft Genome Assembly Statistics:
Assembler used:
TBA
Genome Length:
597.23 million bases (0.60 Gigabases)
BUSCO completeness score (single and duplicated genes):
99.3% [S: 57.3%, D: 42.0%]
BUSCO database:
TBA
Strelitzia reginae
Bird of paradise

Importance:
The crane flower, bird of paradise, or isigude in Nguni, is one of South Africa's most iconic flowering plants. As an evergreen perennial with striking orange and blue flowers it is highly sought after for gardens and the cut flower market and, therefore, widely cultivated for its aesthetic appeal.
Sample Contributor contact details:
Prof. Eshchar Mizrachi
University of Pretoria
Date Published:
2025-02-17
Photo credit:
© Neoneo
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