The chromosome genome of Fritillaria cirrhosa

Fritillaria cirrhosa, a flagship species of the lily family, is globally renowned for its medicinal bulbs containing bioactive steroidal alkaloids (e.g., sipeimine), which have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries. Here, we report the first-ever chromosome-scale assembly of the F. cirrhosa mega-genome, successfully decoding its immense genetic architecture to unravel the structural basis of its genomic gigantism and provide unprecedented insights into the evolution of its medicinal traits.