Draft genome assembly of the Woolly bottlebrush ( Greyia radlkoferi ) using Pacbio long-read sequencing technology

The Woolly bottlebrush ( Greyia radlkoferi ) is an indigenous South African plant known for its ornamental appeal and potential medicinal uses. It naturally grows on rocky hillsides and grasslands and highly resilient to drought, temperature fluctuations, and nutrient-poor soils. Its flavonoid-rich compounds with anti-tyrosinase activity support its traditional use to treat skin pigmentation disorders in humans. Despite its outstanding ecological and biochemical characteristics, no reference genome is available for Greyia radlkoferi . Therefore, this study aimed to generate the first draft genome of the Greyia Radlkofleri using PacBio Sequel IIe HiFi long read sequencing. A total of 56.07 Gb HiFi data was generated, providing a total genome coverage of 270X. The assembled genome size was 206Mb, with the longest scaffold being 13.9 Mb. The assembly statistics yielded a scaffold and contig N50 of 10.1 Mb, and an L50 of 9, and with an overall GC content of 34.9 %. The genome scope profile set at kmer = 17 indicated that the genome is triploid. The genome annotation predicted 17,804 protein-coding genes and 17,804 transcripts with an average gene length of 3,116.03 bp. This is the first draft genome of its kind for the Greyia genus and provides a foundation for future studies aimed at elucidating the genetic basis of its environmental resilience and the biosynthetic pathways underlying its medicinal properties.