Enhanced DNA barcode datasets for Aristida grasses: new whole genome skimming data for the protected species Aristida triseta Keng integrated with public sequences.

This dataset comprises six DNA barcode regions (ITS, matK, rbcL, rpl16, ndhF, and trnL-trnF) for the grass genus Aristida (Poaceae). It integrates newly generated whole genome skimming data for the protected species Aristida triseta Keng with publicly available sequences downloaded from NCBI.Sample collection and sequencing: The newly sequenced A. triseta specimen was collected on August 26, 1964, from a sunny slope grassland near the Tongtianhe Bridge, Yushu County, Qinghai Province, China. Total genomic DNA was extracted using a modified CTAB method. Whole genome sequencing was performed on a DNASEQ-T7 sequencer. The chloroplast genome was assembled using GetOrganelle v1.7.7.1. The five plastid markers (matK, rbcL, rpl16, ndhF, and trnL-trnF) were extracted from the assembled plastome using Geneious Prime 2025.1.3. The ITS region was extracted from the nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA) contigs using ITSx v1.1.3.Public sequence integration: For each marker, sequences of other Aristida species were retrieved from NCBI GenBank via keyword searches and manually curated. The total number of sequences per marker in the final dataset is as follows: ITS (n=197), matK (n=130), rbcL (n=152), rpl16 (n=195), ndhF (n=87), and trnL-trnF (n=201). For the five plastid markers (matK, rbcL, rpl16, ndhF, and trnL-trnF), the outgroups are Sartidia perrieri, S. dewinteri, and S. isaloensis; for the nuclear ITS region, the outgroups include Sartidia jucunda, S. perrieri, S. dewinteri, and S. isaloensis.Data files: All sequences are provided in FASTA format, organized into six files named by marker (e.g., ITS.fasta, matK.fasta). Each sequence header includes the species name and GenBank accession number. All sequences have been aligned using MAFFT v7.505 and manually inspected. No missing data are present within the newly generated sequences; however, downloaded sequences vary in length due to differences in original study designs. This enhanced dataset serves as a reliable resource for phylogenetic reconstruction, molecular identification, and conservation genetics of Aristida.