Orphan genes in the rose

Orphan genes (OGs) are a set of genes which no obvious homology in comparison with other species, and which play a key role in the morphological and physiological innovations and adaptive evolution. Rosa chinensis is an important horticultural variety and the most popular cut flower worldwide, with high economic and ornamental benefits. To further understand the evolution and utilize the function of OGs, we performed a comparative genomics approach to identify OGs in the genome of R. chinensis.