Aphyllanthes monspeliensis Genome sequencing
We sampled sequences from the entire genome of multiple species of monocotyledonous plants to explore evolutionary relationships among lineages. Monocots (including such groups as grasses, sedges, palms, gingers, bananas, orchids, onions, yams, pondweeds, and philodendrons) comprise more than 65,000 species of flowering plants, occur in almost all habitats on Earth, and provide the basis for the great majority of the human diet. Monocots also account for much of the commerce in cut flowers and horticultural bulbs such as crocuses, irises, hyacinths, tulips, and lilies. They dominate grasslands, seagrass beds, bamboo thickets, many wetlands, and are especially common on extremely infertile soils. This research will help us understand the context of diversity in monocots.