The complete chloroplast genome of Camellia melliana (Theaceae)

Camellia melliana Hand. -Mazz. is an endangered shrub species endemic to China, but it has not been sequenced and has never been included in molecular phylogenetic studies to date. In the present study, the complete chloroplast genome sequence of the species was assembled through the genome-skimming approach, and the phylogenetic position of the species within Camellia was investigated for the first time. Results showed that the chloroplast genome of the species is 156,984 bp in length, including a large single copy (LSC) region of 86,588 bp and a small single-copy (SSC) region of 18,268 bp, which were separated by a pair of inverted repeat (IR) regions of 26,064 bp. The genome encoded 112 unique genes, including 79 protein-coding genes, four ribosomal RNA genes and 29 transfer RNA genes. The overall GC content of the complete genome is 37.3%. Results from phylogenetic analysis recovered a highly supported sister relationship between C. melliana and C. salicifolia. This study provides a foundation for the phylogenetics, taxonomy and exploration of genetic diversity of Camellia.