The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Rheum tanguticum, an endangered Chinese medicinal plant (Polygonaceae)

Rheum tanguticum is a valuable medicinal plant endemic to the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. It has been listed classified under the IUCN Red List categories of Vulnerable due to the low reproductive rate and heavy exploitation. In this study, the complete chloroplast (cp) genome of R. tanguticum has been assembled using data from the whole-genome Illumina sequencing. The cp genome is 161,515 bp in size and contains two inverted repeat regions of 30,823 bp each, which is separated by a large single-copy region of 86,675 bp and a small single-copy region of 13,194 bp. The cp genome contains 87 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the cp genome of R. tanguticum was closely related to that of the R. palmatum.