Amaral, Danilo T. ， Trier, Cassandra ， Copetti, Dario ， Franco, Fernando F. ， Moraes, Evandro M.
2025-07-07 PLANTA 2025 262(卷), 2(期), (null页)
Main conclusionWe present the first high-quality, chromosome-level genome of Cereus jamacaru, enabling evolutionary studies, conservation efforts, and exploration of its economic potential within the Cactaceae family.AbstractThe Cactaceae plants are remarkable for their drought-adapted traits and the extraordinary radiation across arid and semi-arid regions of the Americas. Despite their evolutionary, ecological, cultural, and economic importance, high-quality genomic resources are available for only three North American species. Here, we present a chromosome-level reference genome for the mandacaru cactus Cereus jamacaru, an iconic species from northeastern Brazil. This is the first reference genome for a cactus species endemic to South America, offering an invaluable resource for investigating the evolution, economic potential, and conservation of this and related taxa.