The Complete Chloroplast Genome of Meconopsis simplicifolia and Its Genetic Comparison to Other Meconopsis Species

<b>Background:</b> Chloroplasts, due to their high conservation and lack of recombination, serve as important genetic resources for the classification and evolutionary analysis of closely related species that are difficult to distinguish based on their morphological features. <i>Meconopsis simplicifolia (M. simplicifolia)</i>, an endangered herb within the <i>Meconopsis</i> genus, has demonstrated therapeutic potential in treating various diseases. However, the highly polymorphic morphology of this species poses a challenge for accurate identification. <b>Methods:</b> In this study, the complete chloroplast genome of <i>M. simplicifolia</i> was sequenced and assembled using Illumina sequencing technology. Simple sequence repeats (SSRs) and repetitive sequences were characterized. In addition, a comparative analysis was conducted with the chloroplast genomes of six other <i>Meconopsis</i> species. <b>Results:</b> The chloroplast genome of <i>M. simplicifolia</i> has a quadripartite circular structure with a total length of 152,772 bp. It consists of a large single-copy region of 83,824 bp and a small single-copy region of 17,646 bp, separated by a pair of inverted repeat sequences (IRa and IRb, 25,651 bp). The genome contains 131 genes, 33 SSRs, and 27 long repetitive sequences. Comparative analysis with six other chloroplast genomes of <i>Meconopsis</i> revealed that <i>M. simplicifolia</i> is closely related to <i>M. betonicifolia</i> and that the <i>rpl2</i> (<i>ribosomal protein L2</i>) gene in the IRb region has been deleted. This deletion is of significant importance for future taxonomic studies of <i>M. simplicifolia</i>. <b>Conclusions:</b> This study provides a valuable reference for the identification of <i>M. simplicifolia</i> and contributes to a deeper understanding of the phylogeny and evolution of the <i>Meconopsis</i> genus.