China orchids refer to the terrestrial small-flowered species of the Cymbidium genus within the Orchidaceae family. These orchids are among the earliest cultivated species in the world and are often praised as the "Fragrance of Kings" and the "King of All Herbs." Cymbidium sinense (known as the Chinese Cymbidium) is admired for its deep green leaves, graceful flower form, and delicate fragrance. Its blooming period coincides with the Chinese New Year, earning it the name Baosui Lan (the "New Year's Orchid"). It is cherished not only in China but also in other Asian countries influenced by Chinese culture. Due to its diverse flower morphology, leaf color, and fragrance characteristics, Cymbidium sinense is an ideal subject for studying the evolution of orchids.

Recently, a research team led by Professor Zhu Genfa from the Institute of Environmental Horticulture at the Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, along with researchers from the Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Horticultural Flower Germplasm Innovation and Comprehensive Utilization, published a study titled "The genome of Cymbidium sinense revealed the evolution of orchid traits" in the internationally renowned journal Plant Biotechnology Journal (IF=13.26). The paper was authored by Researcher Yang Fengxi, with Assistant Researchers Gao Jie and Wei Yonglu as co-first authors, and Professor Liu Zhongjian from Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Professor Cai Wenjie from National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan, and Professor Zhu Genfa as corresponding authors. Researchers and students from several institutions, including the Shenzhen Orchid Conservation Research Center and South China Normal University, also contributed to the study. The research was supported by grants from the Guangdong Provincial Natural Science Foundation Team Project (2017A030312004), National Key R&D Program (2018YFD1000400, 2019YFD1001003), among others.

Utilizing the latest sequencing technologies and bioinformatics analysis methods, the team obtained a high-quality, chromosome-level genome of Cymbidium sinense. The sequencing process involved Nanopore long-read sequencing, Illumina HiSeq 4000 second-generation sequencing for data correction, and Hi-C library construction for chromosome anchoring. The assembled genome of Cymbidium sinense spans 3.52 Gb, with a chromosome anchoring rate of approximately 97.79%, and includes annotations for 29,638 genes. This is the first reported genome of a traditional Chinese orchid, and it is currently the largest genome among those published for orchid species.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/pbi.13676