Unveiling the conserved nature of Heliconia chloroplast genomes: insights from the assembly and analysis of four complete chloroplast genomes

This study provides valuable insights into the conserved nature of the chloroplast genome in Heliconia. The reduced chloroplast genome size, particularly the shortened inverted repeat region, marks a distinct feature of Heliconia within the Zingiberales family. Our findings also underscore the low nucleotide diversity within the chloroplast genomes of Heliconia species, which could be indicative of their evolutionary history and limited genetic differentiation. These results contribute to a broader understanding of chloroplast genome evolution in the Zingiberales and offer important genetic resources for future research on Heliconia and related species.