The complete chloroplast genome of Cynoglossum amabile Stapf & J. R. Drumm., 1906 (Boraginaceae), a traditional Chinese herbal medicine.

Cynoglossum amabile Stapf & J. R. Drumm., 1906 is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine from southwest China. To better determine its phylogenetic relatedness to other Boraginaceae species, the chloroplast (cp) genome of C. amabile was sequenced. The complete cp genome of C. amabile is 151,532 bp in length, containing a small single-copy (SSC) region with a length of 17,366 bp, a large single-copy (LSC) region with a length of 82,902 bp, and a pair of inverted repeats (IRs) regions each with a length of 25,632 bp. The overall GC content of the cp genome is 37.4%. The maximum-likelihood phylogenetic tree showed that Bothriospermum zeylanicum (J. Jacq.) Druce, 1917 was closely related to C. amabile.

The complete chloroplast genome of Elsholtzia fruticosa (D. Don) Rehd. (Labiatae), an ornamental plant with high medicinal value.

Elsholtzia fruticosa is an ornamental plant with high medicinal value. In this study, we sequenced and analyzed the complete chloroplast (cp) genome of the species. The complete cp sequence is 151,550 bp, including the large single-copy (LSC) region of 82,778 bp, the small single-copy (SSC) region of 17,492 bp, and a pair of invert repeats (IRs) regions of 25,640 bp. It encodes 132 unique genes in total, including 87 protein-coding genes, 37 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs), and eight ribosomal RNA genes (rRNAs). The comparative analysis of complete cp genomes showed that the genomic structure and gene order of E. fruticosa cps were conserved. The sequences of rps15, rps19, ycf1, ycf3, ycf15, psbL, psaI, trnG-UCC, trnS-GCU, trnR-UCU, trnL-UAG, trnP-UG, and trnL-UAA serve as hotspots for developing the DNA barcoding of Elsholtzia species. There are 49 SSR loci in the cp genome of E. fruticosa, among which the repeat numbers of mononucleotide, dinucleotide, trinucleotide, tetranucleotide, and pentanucleotides SSR are 37, 9, 3, 0, and 0, respectively. A total of 50 repeats were detected, including 15 forward repeats, seven reverse repeats, 26 palindromic repeats, and two complementary repeats. Phylogenetic analysis based on the complete cp genome and protein-coding DNA sequences of 26 plants indicates that E. fruticosa has a dose relationship with E. splendens and E. byeonsanensis.

The complete chloroplast genome of Crataegus scabrifolia (Franch.) Rehd (Rosaceae), a medicinal and edible plant in Southwest China.

Crataegus scabrifolia (Franch.) Rehd is a medicinal and edible plant in Southwest China. The chloroplast genome of C. scabrifolia was analyzed by high-throughput sequencing technology, and its genetic relationship to related species was discussed. The chloroplast genome is 159,637 bp long, with two inverted repeat (IR) regions (26,384 bp each) that separate a large single-copy (LSC) region (87,730 bp) and a small single-copy (SSC) region (19,139 bp). A total of 127 genes were annotated, including 83 protein-coding genes, 8 rRNA genes, and 36 tRNA genes. The phylogenetic tree shows that C. hupehensis is closely related to C. scabrifolia with strong bootstrap support.

Complete chloroplast genome of Leptopus chinensis (Bunge) Pojark (Euphorbiaceae), a traditional Chinese herbal medicine.

Leptopus chinensis (Bunge) Pojark is a medicinal herb endemic to China. In this study, its complete chloroplast (cp) genome was characterized with a discussion of its phylogenetic placement. The cp genome of L. chinensis was 154,600 bp long, with a double-stranded circular tetrad structure containing a small single-copy (SSC) region (17,717 bp), a large single-copy (LSC) region (83,159 bp), and a pair of inverted repeat (IR) regions (26,862 bp each). The overall GC content of the genome was 36.8% (LSC, 34.7%; SSC, 29.8%; IR, 42.3%). Phylogenetic analysis indicated that L. chinensis is a sister species to L. cordifolius.

The complete plastid genome of Terminalia myriocarpa Vaniot Huerck et Muell.-Arg (Combretaceae), a tropical rainforest indicator species in Southern China.

Terminalia myriocarpa Vaniot Huerck et Muell.-Arg is a tropical rainforest indicator species in Southern China. The chloroplast genome of T. myriocarpa was analyzed by high-throughput sequence technology, and its genetic relationship to related species was discussed. The chloroplast genome is 159,854 bp in length, with a total GC content of 37%. It has a typical chloroplast tetrad structure, including 88,015 bp of large single copy (LSC), 18,814 bp of small single copy (SSC), and 26,319 bp of inverted repeats (IR). A total of 130 genes were annotated, including 85 protein-coding genes, 8 rRNA genes, and 37 tRNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis indicated T. myriocarpa was closely related to Terminalia phillyreifolia.