Characterization of the complete chloroplast genome of Camellia tienii (Theaceae) and its relatives

Camellia tienii, an indigenous plant species in Vietnam, is renowned for its remarkable medicinal properties. However, the current methods for plant identification are not reliable due to shared characteristics with other species in Camellia genus. To address this, the present study aimed to sequence and characterize the complete chloroplast (cp) genome of C. tienii. The resulting cp genome is 162,167 bp in size and encompasses 154 genes, including 98 protein-coding genes, 8 rRNA genes, and 48 tRNA genes. Notably, this genome contains 55 simple sequence repeats, specifically type A and T motifs. It is worth mentioning that the ndhF gene was not detected in this genome, while the trnL gene was present. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that C. tienii shares a close relationship with C. tamdaoensis. These significant findings contribute with valuable insights that can aid in the accurate taxonomy, plant identification, and conservation efforts concerning this herb in Vietnam.