Characterization of the complete chloroplast genome of Firmiana hainanensis (Malvaceae), an endemic and vulnerable tree species of China

Abstract

Firmiana hainanensis Kosterm. is a commercially valuable endemic tree species in China and has long been considered a globally vulnerable species. We assembled and characterized the complete chloroplast genome of this species by using Illumina pair-end sequencing data. The total chloroplast genome size was 161,559 bp, including two inverted repeats (IRs) of 25,612 bp, separated by a large single copy (LSC) and a small single copy (SSC) regions of 90,057 and 20,277 bp, respectively. A total of 130 genes were identified, including 85 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA, and eight rRNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis showed that F. hainanensis was the most basal species in the genus Firmiana. The chloroplast genome of this species will provide a theoretical basis to understand the taxa’s evolution further and is expected to contribute to its conservation efforts.

Keywords:

• Firmiana
• chloroplast genome
• endemic tree
• phylogeny
• vulnerable species

Ethical approval

Collection and study of plant material were conducted according to the guidelines provided by the South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Permission was granted by the South China Botanical Garden, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the National Natural Science Foundation of China. The research team complies with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) policies regarding research involving species at risk of extinction (see Guidelines for appropriate uses of IUCN Red list data), the Convention on Biological Diversity, and the Convention on the Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

Author contributions

Conceptualization: FT, JW; Methodology: FT, AKB, HF; Investigation: FT, AKB, JD, YF, YS; Analysis: AKB, JD, HF; Writing – original draft preparation: FT, AKB, JD, HF; Writing – review and editing: YF, YS, JW; Funding acquisition: FT, AKB, JW. All authors have read and approved the manuscript, and agreed to be accountable for the work.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that there is no potential conflict of interest exists.

Data availability statement

The Firmiana hainanensis genome sequence data are available in GenBank under accession number ON813240. The associated BioProject, SRA, and Bio-Sample numbers are PRJNA850651, SRR19769910, and SAMN29200181, respectively.

Additional information

Funding

This project was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China [31200466], the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province for Distinguished Young Scholars, China [2017A030313189, 2022A1515012015].