Loudetia flavida Genome sequencing and assembly
Loudetia flavida is a tussock-forming perennial grass commonly found throughout tropical Africa. It is adapted to fire-driven ecosystems and is a dominant species in the grasslands of Madagascar and in some mainland African grasslands too. It stands between one and two meters tall and can be easily recognized by its single brownish-yellow spikelet per pedicel with long awns. It has limited potential as a forage grass as it is not the preference of grazers, but it and its relatives such as Loudetia simplex is an important indicator of open ecosystems that experience frequent fires. It is a member of the Tristachyideae tribe. Tristachyideae does not include targets of agricultural relevance, but is likely sister to all other tribes of the Panicoideae sub-family, which includes corn, sugar cane, sorghum, switchgrass, and several orphan crops. A high-quality Loudetia flavida genome can be used for understanding adaptations to fire-driven ecosystems and in an evolutionary context when investigating economically valuable traits in other panicoid grasses.