GENOMICS OF COMPOSITAE WEEDS. Asteraceae

Premise of Study: Weeds cause considerable environmental and economic damage. However, genomic characterization of weeds has lagged behind that of model plants and crop species. Here we report on the development of genomic tools and resources for weeds from the Compositae family that will serve as a basis for subsequent population and comparative genomic analyses. Because hybridization has been suggested as a stimulus for the evolution of invasiveness, we also analyze these genomic data for evidence of hybridization.