Characterization of the complete chloroplast genome sequence of Firmiana pulcherrima (Malvaceae)

Firmiana pulcherrima, a deciduous tree belonging to Malvaceae, is distributed in forests and stream valleys of eastern Hainan in China. Being extremely rare, it was ranked as a CR (Critically Endangered) species in China (Ministry of Environmental Protection of the Peoples Republic of China and Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2013). In this study, we reported its complete chloroplast (cp) genome sequence based on high throughput sequencing data. The complete cp genome was 159,556 bp in length, containing a pair of inverted repeat region (IRs) of 25,576 bp, a large single copy (LSC) region of 88,444 bp and a small single copy (SSC) region of 19,960 bp. The cp genome contained 125 genes, consisting of 82 protein-coding genes, 35 tRNA genes and 8 rRNA genes. Among these genes, 14 genes had a single intron and one gene had 2 introns. The majority of gene species occurred as a single copy. The overall AT content in the cp genome of F. pulcherrima was 62.9%. A maximum likelihood (ML) phylogenetic analysis demonstrated a close relationship between F. pulcherrima and Theobroma cacao.