Characterization of the complete chloroplast genomes of two <i>Pachysandra</i> species in the family Buxaceae

<i>Pachysandra</i> is a small genus with only three species. In the present study, the complete chloroplast (cp) genome of two species in <i>Pachysandra</i> was assembled and annotated using the data sequenced by the Illumina HiSeq 2500 Sequencing System. Moreover, the cp genome of <i>P. axillaris</i> is reported for the first time. The lengths of the complete cp genomes of <i>P. axillaris</i> and <i>P. terminalis</i> were 157,353 bp and 160,805 bp, respectively, with a typical quadripartite structure comprising a pair of inverted repeat regions (IRs; 24,870 bp vs. 28,019 bp), a large single-copy region (LSC; 89,535 bp vs. 86,013 bp), and a small single-copy region (SSC; 18,080 bp vs. 18,752 bp). The whole cp genomes of <i>P. axillaris</i> and <i>P. terminalis</i> contained 134 and 130 genes, respectively, including 89 (or 85) protein-coding genes (PCGs), 37 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, and eight ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes. The maximum-likelihood (ML) phylogenetic analysis indicated that <i>Pachysandra</i> was closely related to the genus <i>Buxus</i> in the family Buxaceae, based on 25 taxa from 12 families. The two cp genomes reported here can serve as basic data for genetic research on <i>Pachysandra</i> and Buxaceae.