BEIJING, June 25, 2018 (BSS/XINHUA) – Chinese scientists have completed
sequencing the tropical sage genome, which will help with breeding and
growing other coordinal plants, valuable for their aroma and appearance.
Tropical sage, as well as mint and lavender, is a labiate plant.
Xin Haibo, senior engineer with the Beijing Institute of Gardening Science
and a member of the research team, said establishing the plant’s genetic
mechanism is valuable for breeding and editing the genomes of other coordinal
plants.
Tropical sage is a tender herbaceous perennial widely used in public
gardens all over the world. The Beijing institute has developed over 10
varieties of tropical sage.
Xin said through genetic technology, they can control the colors and timing
of blossoming, and extract essential sage oil and other aromatic and
medicinal components from coordinal plants.