# The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Zehneria japonica (Thunb.) H. Y. Liu (Cucurbitaceae), a medicinal plant

## TL;DR

This paper reports the full chloroplast genome of Zehneria japonica, a medicinal plant, providing insights into its genetic structure and evolutionary relationships.

## Contribution

The study presents the first complete chloroplast genome sequence of Zehneria japonica, enhancing genomic resources for the species.

## Key findings

- The chloroplast genome is 157,052 bp long with a typical quadripartite structure.
- It encodes 131 genes, including 86 protein-coding, 37 tRNA, and 8 rRNA genes.
- Phylogenetic analysis confirms the monophyly of Zehneria species.

## Abstract

Zehneria japonica (Thunb.) H. Y. Liu is a traditional Chinese medicinal plant. We sequenced and annotated its complete chloroplast genome, which is 157,052 bp in length with 36.99% GC content. It exhibits a typical quadripartite structure, including a large single-copy region of 86,849 bp, a small single-copy region of 17,867 bp, and two inverted repeat regions of 26,168 bp. The genome encodes 131 genes (86 protein-coding, 37 tRNA, and 8 rRNA). Phylogenetic analysis based on chloroplast genomes supports the monophyly of Zehneria species. These results enrich genomic resources and provide a foundation for future phylogenetic and evolutionary studies within Zehneria.