The complete chloroplast genome of Loropetalum subcordatum, a national key protected species in China

Loropetalum subcordatum is a national key protected species endemic to China. Despite its ecological importance and horticultural value, the whole chloroplast (cp) genome of it has not been reported yet. Here, using the paired-end shotgun sequencing technology, we determined the first nucleotide sequence of L. subcordatum cp genome. Our results showed the complete cp genome of L. subcordatum was 158,706 bp long and displayed a typical quadripartite structure which consisted of a pair of inverted repeats (IRs) with a length of 25,998 bp, separating by two single-copy regions (LSC, 88,216 bp and SSC, 18,494 bp). Besides, the cp genome of L. subcordatum contained 131 genes, including 86 protein coding genes, 37 transfer RNAs and 8 ribosomal RNAs. Furthermore, we identified a total of 63 microsatellites (SSRs) within the L. subcordatum cp genome. These newly developed genomic resources will greatly helpful to the further conservation genetic studies of this endangered tree.