The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Cremastra appendiculata (Orchidaceae) revealed by next-generation sequencing and phylogenetic implication

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Cremastra appendiculata, a rare and endangered species of China, was determined by Illumina pair-end sequencing. The results showed that the complete plastid genome was 160,494 bp in length, containing a large single copy (LSC) of 88,249 bp and a small single copy (SSC) of 21,457 bp, which were separated by a pair of 25,394 bp inverted repeats (IRs). A total of 132 unique genes were annotated, including 86 protein coding genes, 38 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. Among these genes, 18 genes contained one or two introns. The overall GC contents of the plastid genome were 36.9%, and in the IR regions, LSC and SSC were 43.8, 34.4 and 30.9%, respectively. Maximum likelihood analysis revealed that the new sequenced species C. appendiculata was closer to the species in Cattleya and formed one clade with a high bootstrap value at the middle of the phylogenetic tree of Orchidaceae.