Characteristics and a phylogenetic analysis of the complete chloroplast genome of Pseudotsuga sinensis var. brevifolia (Pinaceae)

Pseudotsuga sinensis var. brevifolia, formerly known as Pseudotsuga brevifolia, is a native coniferous tree in Vietnam and China. Recently, the number of individuals has decreased significantly and the species continues to be at risk of extinction due to forest fires and logging. This study reported the complete chloroplast (cp) genome of P. sinensis var. brevifolia to establish its genetic relationships with other closely related taxa and to provide a foundation for the future genetic resource conservation of the species. The results revealed that the total length of the cp genome was 122,441bp, with the lengths of the large single-copy, small single-copy, and inverted repeat regions being 66,904 bp, 54,839 bp and 349 bp, respectively. The cp genome of P. sinensis var. brevifolia contains 113 coding genes in total, consisting of 73 protein-coding genes, 36 tRNA genes, and four rRNA genes. The phylogenetic results revealed that P. sinensis var. brevifolia and other Pseudotsuga species are closely related and form a monophyletic group. The results of this study provide additional molecular data for the phylogenetic localization of P. sinensis var. brevifolia and essential data for its identification and resource conservation.