Characterization of the chloroplast genome of Meterostachys sikokianus (Makino) Nakai (Crassulaceae) and its phylogenetic analysis

Meterostachys is a monotypic genus of Crassulaceae, though its phylogenetic position remains unclear. Here, we report the complete chloroplast (cp) genome sequence of Meterostachys sikokianus using the Illumina high-throughput sequencing approach. The cp genome was 149,860 bp in length, containing a large single copy (LSC) of 82,293 bp and a small single copy (SSC) of 16,879 bp, which were separated by a pair of 25,344 bp inverted repeats (IRs). The overall GC content of the M. sikokianus cp genome was 37.6%. A total of 113 unique genes were annotated, consisting of 79 protein coding genes (PCGs), 30 transfer RNAs (tRNAs), and four ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs). Among these genes, eighteen contained one or two introns. A maximum-likelihood (ML) phylogenetic analysis based on 30 accessions of Crassulaceae showed that M. sikokianus was most closely related to Orostachys japonica and Orostachys fimbriata.