Complete Chloroplast Genome Sequence of and Comparative Analysis of the Malvaceae Family.

Kenaf () is one of the most fast-growing bast in the world and belongs to the family Malvaceae. However, the systematic classification and chloroplast (cp) genome of kenaf has not been reported to date. In this study, we sequenced the cp genome of kenaf and conducted phylogenetic and comparative analyses in the family of Malvaceae. The sizes of cp genomes were 162,903 bp in length, containing 113 unique genes (79 protein-coding genes, four rRNA genes, and 30 tRNA genes). Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the cp genome sequence of has closer relationships with and than with , which disagrees with the taxonomical relationship. Further analysis obtained a new version of the cp genome annotation of and found that the orientation variation of small single copy (SSC) region exists widely in the family of Malvaceae. The highly variable and the highly conserved gene were identified among the family of Malvaceae. In particular, the explanation for two different SSC orientations in the cp genomes associated with phylogenetic analysis is discussed. These results provide insights into the systematic classification of the genus in the Malvaceae family.