The complete chloroplast genome sequence of <i>Abies recurvata</i> Mast. from southwest China: insights into genome features and evolutionary relationships

Abies recurvata Mast. is an endemic and vulnerable conifer species in China. To date, its taxonomic position relative to related taxa (e.g. A. delavayi and A. chensiensis) remains ambiguous. To our knowledge, this work presents the first full chloroplast genome assembly and comprehensive characterization of Abies recurvata (Purple-coned Fir). This genome exists as a circular molecule of 120,063 bp, harboring 113 distinct genes. Additionally, 66 microsatellite repeats and 12 tandem repeats were identified. Phylogenetic analysis challenged conventional taxonomic views, revealing that A. recurvata is distantly related to A. delavayi and A. chensiensis, but instead forms a strongly supported clade with A. fargesii.