The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Lindera fragrans (Lauraceae): genome structure and phylogenetic analysis

Lindera fragrans, naturally distributed in southern China, is economic and ecological tree. Its leaves are one of the primary raw materials for processing Hawk tea. Here, we assembled the complete chloroplast genome of L. fragrans using Illumina pair-end sequencing. The chloroplast genome size was 152,739 base pairs (bp) with 39% GC content, containing a pair of inverted repeats (IRA/B) of 20,067 bp, separated by a large- and a small single-copy region (LSC/SSC) of 93,711 bp and 18,894 bp, respectively. The genome encoded 126 genes, including 82 protein-coding, 36 transfer RNA (tRNA), and eight ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes. Phylogenetic analysis based on chloroplast genome sequences of 22 species suggested that L. fragrans was closely related to species of Lindera genus than other genera in Lauraceae. These results can be a valuable genome resource for further genetics and molecular biology studies.