The complete chloroplast genome sequence of the medicinal plant Ardisia crispa (Myrsinaceae)

Abstract Ardisia crispa , a member of the Myrsinaceae family, possesses significant horticultural and medicinal properties as an ethnomedicine. The study aimed to analyze the chloroplast genome of A. crispa and compare it with other Ardisia species, revealing a length of 156,785 bp with a quadripartite structure and 131 genes, including 86 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. Furthermore, 59 simple sequence repeat (SSR) sites were identified in the genome. Examination of codon usage within the chloroplast genome indicated a greater inclination towards A/U nucleotides over G/C nucleotides, with leucine displaying the highest frequency among amino acids. The chloroplast genomes of the nine Ardisia species demonstrate conserved gene content and quantity, presenting more consistent boundaries and decreased variability. In the phylogenetic tree, A. crispa is clustered with A. crispa var dielsii , suggesting a close relationship with A. mamillata and A. pedalis . This study involved the construction and analysis of the chloroplast genome structure of A. crispa , as well as phylogenetic analysis using extensive chloroplast genome sequence data from Ardisia plants. This research is crucial for understanding the genetic basis of A. crispa and the adaptive evolution within the Ardisia genus.