The complete chloroplast genome sequence and phylogenetic position of Aesculus turbinata Blume (Sapindaceae)

Aesculus turbinata Blume (Sapindaceae) is a medicinally significant species. This study presents the complete chloroplast genome sequence of A. turbinata , which spans 156,251 bp. It includes a large single-copy region of 85,981 bp, a small single-copy region of 18,854 bp, and two inverted repeat (IR, 25,708 bp each) regions. The chloroplast genome contains a total of 130 genes, consisting of 85 protein-encoding genes, 37 tRNAs, and 8 rRNAs, with a GC content of 38.07%. Twelve genes contain introns: 11 possess a single intron, while pafI uniquely harbors two. The rps12 gene is trans-spliced into three exons. The IR regions duplicate eight protein-coding genes, two tRNAs, and four rRNAs. Phylogenetic analysis based on complete chloroplast genomes of Sapindaceae strongly supports the close relationship between A. turbinata and A. hippocastanum , providing critical insights into the evolutionary taxonomy of this family.