Complete chloroplast genome sequence and phylogenetic analysis of Inula minipetala Y.N. Lee ex H.B. Kim & D.C. Son (Asteraceae), an endemic Korean species
Inula Linnaeus, belonging to the family Asteraceae, comprises over 100 species distributed primarily across Eurasia and North Africa. Among these, Inula minipetala Y.N. Lee ex H.B. Kim & D.C. Son, an endemic species to Korea, is distributed only in the central Korean Peninsula. However, its chloroplast genome structure, complete sequence and phylogenetic relationships have not yet been reported. Therefore, we determined the complete chloroplast genome sequence of I. minipetala using genome sequencing, assembly, and annotation. The total length of the chloroplast genome was 150,781 bp with a GC content of 37.7%. It featured a quadripartite structure (a large single-copy region, 82,452 bp; a small single-copy region, 18,435 bp; and two inverted repeat regions, 24,947 bp each). It contains 129 genes, including 84 coding sequences (CDSs), 37 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis based on 78 CDSs revealed that I. minipetala belongs to the Inula clade and forms a sister group with I. linariifolia Turcz., indicating a close phylogenetic relationship. The complete chloroplast genome sequence of I. minipetala provides important information for future phylogenetic and evolutionary studies of the genus Inula.