The complete chloroplast genome of Androsace erecta (Primulaceae) and its phylogenetic implication

With about 153 species, the genus Androsace (Primulaceae) is known for its horticultural and economic importance. In this study, we report the complete chloroplast genome of Androsace erecta Maximowicz, a morphologically distinct species of Sect. Orthocaulon native to the Western China. The plastome of A. erecta is highly conserved in genome size, structure, and content when compared to all previously published plastomes of the genus. The phylogenomic analysis strongly supported A. erecta as sister to a clade comprising species of Sections Aizoideia and Chamaejasme. Lastly, we selected the four most variable regions across the Androsace species plastomes (trnK(UUU)-rps16, trnS(GCU)-trnG(UCC), psbE-petL, and infA-rps8), which were considered to be suitable candidate DNA barcodes for Androsace.