A first look at the genome structure of hexaploid ‘Black Mitcham’ peppermint (Mentha piperita L.)

Peppermint, Mentha xpiperita L., is a hexaploid (2n = 6x = 72) and the predominant cultivar of commercial mint oil production in the US. This cultivar is threatened because of high susceptibility to the fungal disease Verticillium wilt, caused by Verticillium dahliae . This report details the first draft polyploid chromosome-level genome assembly for this mint species. The ‘Black Mitcham’ genome resource will broaden comparative studies of disease resistance, essential oil biosynthesis, and hybridization events within the genus Mentha . It will also be a valuable contribution to the body of phylogenetic studies involving Mentha and other genera that contain species with varying ploidy levels.