A chromosome-scale genome assembly of Tigridiopalma magnifica

Tigridiopalma magnifica, a member of the Melastomataceae family, is a monotypic genus perennial plant species endemic to South China. Due to its rarity and restricted distribution, the species has been designated as a national second-level protected plant of China. To enhance conservation efforts for T. magnifica, a chromosome scale genome was assembled using combined Oxford Nanopore long-read and Hi-C data. The assembled T. magnifica genome spans 217,339,795 bp across 22 pseudochromosomes with a scaffold N50 of 11,008,659 bp. Telomeric caps at both ends of all the pseudochromosomes were identified, and no intra-chromosomal gaps existed except of pseudochromosomes 5 and 15 with each containing one. The genome demonstrates 95% Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs (BUSCO) completeness, a Long Terminal Repeat Assembly Index (LAI) value of 16.01 and Merqury quality value (QV) of 42.09. Genome annotation revealed 43,291 protein-coding genes and 475 tRNA genes. This high-quality assembly and annotation provide essential insights into the genomic features of T. magnifica, facilitating effective conservation strategies and future applications for this species.