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Globally, the eggplant clade ( Solanum L.) (Solanaceae) is an economically important source of food, nutrition, income, and medicines. Members of the clade are distinctively known for their incompatibility and yet genetically related as a diploid hyper-diverse monophyletic group. The eggplant clade are underutilized, and there are concerns about genetic erosion in Nigeria, primarily attributed to a limited understanding of their genetic diversity. To improve the members of the clade, it is imperative to understand their intra- and inter-specific genetic diversity and relationships for sustainable cultivation, conservation, and genetic improvement. A total of twelve (12) eggplant accessions comprising four (4) accessions of Solanum aethiopicum , three (3) accessions each of S. macrocarpon and S. melongena , and two accessions of S. nigrum obtained from the National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology (NACGRAB) Ibadan, Oyo state, Nigeria were assessed for their intra- and inter-specific genetic diversity. Genomic DNA was extracted from four-week-old young leaves at the emergence of each accession, followed by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) amplification of the maturase K (MatK) gene. The PCR amplicons were then sequenced using Sanger's technique and the results analysed. The dataset presents intra- and inter-specific diversity and population structure of the studied species. A relatively low level of intraspecific diversity and moderate to high level of interspecific diversity with varying degrees of nucleotide and haplotype diversities were recorded for the dataset. Quite elevated values of 693 total allele sites, 9 haplotypes, 0.96 gene diversity, 100 polymorphic sites, 16 parsimony information sites, and 101 total number of mutations were documented for the sequence dataset. Relatively high gene flow and genetic differentiation (Fst) were observed among the populations of S. aethiopicum and S. nigrum (0.939), S. macrocarpon and S. nigrum (0.833), whereas a moderate Fst was recorded for the populations of S. melongena and S. nigrum (0.254) and S. aethiopicum and S. melongena (0.047), while populations of S. aethiopicum and S. macrocarpon as well as S. macrocarpon and S. melongena showed a low Fst values of -0.129 and 0.014. Genetic distance and phylogenetic relationships showed a closely related taxa of four distinct cluster groups with three groups of mixed species and one unique cluster of S. nigrum . The dataset provides insights into the genetic diversity within and between Solanum species which could be used to inform commercial cultivation, conservation, and breeding efforts, as well as the evolutionary dynamics of the clade., (© 2024 The Author(s).)

Launaea taraxacifolia (Willd.) Amin Ex C. Jeffrey (Asteraceae) popularly known as "African wild lettuce" is a neglected, underutilized, and sometimes classified as a weed in West and Central Africa. The plant has been naturalized in numerous regions of the world, including Asia, North America, Europe, and North Africa. This highly nutritional and medicinal leafy vegetable is endemic to some states in southwest, Nigeria. People who utilize the species still depend largely on its spontaneous appearance in the wild, except for some herbalists who cultivate it for therapeutic uses. Its domestication and cultivation are still at infant stage. Without the intervention of breeders, the full potential of this species would remain untapped. The inadequate information about the genetic diversity of L. taraxacifolia hinders its improvement through breeding programme and for conservation purposes, hence this dataset. A total of fifteen (15) accessions of L. taraxacifolia were collected from Oyo, Osun and Ogun states in Nigeria. The accessions were partitioned into three populations according to their collection states and subjected to DNA extraction, polymerase chain reaction amplification and Sanger sequencing using ribulose-1,5-carboxylase/oxygenase large subunit gene (rbcL). The dataset composed of partial rbcL gene sequences which provides information on L. taraxacifolia distribution in southwest, Nigeria, its genetic diversity, single nucleotide polymorphic information, codon usage bias and amino acids molecular weight profile. The dataset recorded a relatively low number of segregating sites (3), total number of haplotypes (4), and nucleotide diversity (0.298) with a high gene diversity (0.667) and average number of nucleotide differences (0.895). A significant low level of genetic differentiation (Fst) was recorded for the population in the decreasing order of 0.103 (Ogun and Oyo populations), 0.000 (Ogun and Osun populations) and -0.222 (Oyo and Osun populations). The unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean revealed the genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships of L. taraxacifolia accessions which could be explored for its domestication, cultivation, genetic improvement and conservation in Nigeria., (© 2024 The Author(s).)