Reference genome for Phragmites australis (Poaceae, subfamily Arundinoideae) and comparison of North American invasive genotype (ssp. australis) and native (ssp. americanus)

Publication Date

2022-04-20

Time Period

2019

Oh, D., Kowalski, K.P., Quach, Q.N., Wijesinghege, C., Tanford, P., Dassanayake, M., and Clay, K., 2022, Reference genome for Phragmites australis (Poaceae, subfamily Arundinoideae) and comparison of North American invasive genotype (ssp. australis) and native (ssp. americanus): U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9NLU6Q4.

Type: Related Primary Publication

Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud. (Common Reed, Poaceae) is globally distributed and provides multiple ecosystem services in its native range. A native subspecies (P. australis ssp. americanus) has been present in North American wetlands for thousands of years. However, the non-native, invasive subspecies (P. australis ssp. australis) was introduced to North America from Europe around 1900 and has been aggressively disrupting and displacing native plant communities and altering wildlife habitat and ecosystem properties. The invasive subspecies occurs throughout the contiguous United States and the entire Great Lakes basin. It is one of the most problematic invasive plant species in wetland habitats in eastern North America, with hundreds of millions of dollars per year invested in control efforts. It is more robust than the native subspecies, with larger inflorescences, leaves, and height, but both subspecies reproduce by seed and clonally via rhizomes. A variety of mechanisms promoting P. australis invasions have been proposed, but effective control strategies are lacking. Furthermore, P. australis lacks a reference genome that can serve as a foundational resource to investigate genomic traits underlying plant invasions and to identify genetic targets for biocontrol. These data the first reference genome for the invasive Phragmites australis ssp. australis, as well as comparative genomic and transcriptomic analyses for invasive and native genotypes coexisting in the Great Lakes region of North America. These data provide a key genomic resource for grasses and the subfamily Arundinoideae and a genomic foundation for development of new management approaches.

• Great Lakes Science Center (GLSC)
• USGS Data Release Products