Greyia 3RAD sequencing

Accurate species identification is essential for conserving and managing plants that provide important ecosystem services and have ethnobotanical value. The Greyia tree genus (G. sutherlandii, G. radlkoferi and G. flanaganii) is endemic to South Africa and Eswatini, and certain genotypes have medicinal value for treating skin hyper-pigmentation. However, distinguishing among species is difficult because of overlapping phenotypes and the limited resolution of standard DNA barcodes. To overcome these limitations, the aim of the study was to develop a robust molecular identification assay using 3RAD-derived species-diagnostic SNPs.