Chouardia litardierei genome

Here we presented a chromosome-scale, high-quality genome assembly of the plant species, the amethyst meadow squill (Chouardia litardierei, Hyacinthaceae). Exceptional levels of ecological plasticity characterize this squill species. Its vast populations are found in highly contrasting habitats, from saline sea-shore marshes, across flooded fields, to arid, high-altitude rock crevices. Although in terms of molecular ecology studies, this species belongs to a neglected and underrepresented phylogenetic group, it is a promising model for the epigenetic and genetic background of adaptive divergence investigations. By assembling the high-quality draft genome, we fulfilled the first and most essential prerequisite to such an effort. Therefore, with this work, we not only presented the first ever assembled genome from the Hyacinthaceae family but also created a foundation for more extensive evolutionary research to come.