The complete chloroplast genome sequence and phylogenetic analysis of Zinnia elegans Jacq. 1792 (Asteraceae)

The complete chloroplast genome of Zinnia elegans Jacq. 1792 was sequenced, assembled, and annotated. The 151,933-bp circular genome comprised an 83,124-bp large single-copy region, an 18,601-bp small single-copy region, and two 25,104-bp inverted repeat regions; its overall GC content was 37.48%. The finalized annotation contained 132 gene copies, including 87 protein-coding, 37 tRNA, and eight rRNA gene copies. Comparative analyses identified conserved genome organization and localized sequence-divergence hotspots . A maximum-likelihood analysis of 79 shared chloroplast protein-coding genes showed that Z. elegans formed a closely associated chloroplast lineage with Echinacea species within Heliantheae.