Angiosperms is the term given for any flowering plant, of which there are about 300,000 species. Angiosperms are the largest and most diverse group of plants within the plant kingdom, representing around 80% of all plants now living.
Many morphologically diverse angiosperm clades appeared in a short geological timespan. This sudden radiation of diverse angiosperm species is referred to by Darwin as an abominable mystery. After decades of research, currently, angiosperm is divided into five major clades including Amborellales, Nymphaeales, Austrobaileyales, and Mesangiospermae. The vast majority (~99.95%) of angiosperms belong to the Mesangiospermae clade, and it comprises five major clades: eudicots, monocots, magnoliids, Chloranthales, and Ceratophyllales. While the phylogenetic relationships among these five subclades remain ambiguous due, in part, to their rapid radiation. Genomic data are a powerful means for resolving phylogenetic uncertainties. However, most of the sequenced nuclear genomes are from species representing either eudicots or monocots. Chloranthales remains the last major mesangiosperm lineage without a nuclear genome assembly.
Driven by these research gaps, BGI assembled a high-quality chromosome-level genome of Chloranthus spicatus and the decryption of its’ genome determined the controversial phylogenetic position of the Chrysospermum. This research not only provides an improved context for understanding mesangiosperm relationships and evolution but also contributes a valuable genomic resource for future investigations.
Fig. 1 Phylogenetic summary of the flowering plants and placement of Chloranthaceae.
The results have newly been published in the journal of Nature Communication. Please click here to read more.
