Complete plastid genome of Gentiana zollingeri Fawcett (Gentianaceae) and phylogenetic analysis

Gentiana zollingeri Fawcett (Gentianaceae) belongs to the most species-rich section, Chondrophyllae, in the Gentianaceae, but its phylogenetic relationship with other members of this section is unclear. To confirm its phylogenetic position, the complete plastid genome of G. zollingeri was determined and analyzed. The plastome was sequenced using the Illumina HiSeq platform, assembled with GetOrganelle, and annotated with GeSeq. The genome is circular with a length of 130,762 bp. It contains a large single-copy (LSC) region of 74,236 bp, a small single-copy (SSC) region of 10,598 bp, and two inverted repeat (IR) regions of 22,964 bp each. The plastome of G. zollingeri shows considerable structural differences from those of other Gentiana plastomes, such as the absence of the ndh gene. In phylogenetic analyses, section Chondrophyllae, including G. zollingeri and its sisters, formed a long branch sistering with section Cruciata. The plastome sequence described here represents an important contribution to phylogenetic and evolutionary studies on Gentiana.