Characterization of the complete chloroplast genome sequence of Symplocos ovatilobata (Symplocaceae)

Symplocos ovatilobata, a deciduous tree belonging to Symplocaceae, is distributed in forests of Hainan in China. Being rare, it was ranked as an EN (Endangered) species in China (Ministry of Environmental Protection of the Peoples Republic of China and Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2013, http://www.zhb.gov.cn/gkml/hbb/bgg/201309/W020130917614244055331.pdf). In this study, we reported its complete chloroplast (cp) genome sequence based on high throughput sequencing data. The complete cp genome was 157,417 bp in length, containing a pair of inverted repeat region (IRs) of 26,089 bp, a large single copy (LSC) region of 87,447 bp and a small single copy (SSC) region of 17,792 bp. The cp genome contained 131 genes, consisting of 87 protein-coding genes, 36 tRNA genes and 8 rRNA genes. Among these genes, 14 genes had a single intron and 2 genes had 2 introns. The majority of gene species occurred as a single copy. The overall AT content in the cp genome of S. ovatilobata was 62.6%. A maximum likelihood (ML) phylogenetic analysis demonstrated a close relationship between S. ovatilobata and S. costaricana.