The first complete chloroplast genome in Engelhardia sensu stricto, Engelhardia hainanensis Chen: genome characterization and its phylogenetic relationships within the family Juglandaceae

Abstract

Trees of Engelhardia are important components of subtropical and tropical forests in South-eastern Asia with great ecological and economic values. However, phylogenetic relationships within Engelhardioideae (Juglandaceae) remains obscure. In this study, we report the first complete chloroplast genome sequences of Engelhardia sensu stricto , Engelhardia hainanensis Chen, a rare species endemic in southern China. Its complete chloroplast genome is 161,574 bp in length, with a typical quadripartite structure that includes a large single-copy region of 91,158 bp, a small single-copy region of 18,790 bp, and its GC content is 35.8%. A total of 128 genes were identified, including 83 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. Furthermore, a phylogenetic tree of Juglandaceae was constructed based the complete chloroplast genome sequence, which strongly support the three-subfamily classification system in Juglandaceae, and E. hainanensis was resolved sister to two Alfaropsis species. This study provides valuable genomic information for the species identification and phylogenetic study of Juglandaceae.