Plastid genome comparison and phylogenetic analyses of the Chinese group of medicinal species and related taxa within Asparagus genus

The plastomes of <i>Asparagus</i> are largely conserved in terms of genome structure, size, gene content, and arrangement. Nevertheless, SSRs analyses revealed significant interspecific polymorphism within <i>Asparagus</i>. In addition, special SSR motifs and divergent hotspot regions identified from <i>Asparagus</i> plastomes provided reference for subsequent identification investigations. The plastome-based phylogeny provided preliminary insights into the relationships among the Chinese group of medicinal species and related taxa within <i>Asparagus</i>. Overall, this study offers a wealth of informative genetic resources pertinent to <i>Asparagus</i>, thereby enhancing our understanding of its evolution and laying a foundation for species identification, assessment of genetic population diversity, as well as the exploration and conservation of germplasm resources.