Characteristics of the complete chloroplast genome of <i>Swertia divaricata</i> Harry Sm. (Gentianaceae) and its phylogenetic inference

<i>Swertia divaricata</i> Harry Sm., 1965, (Gentianaceae) is a perennial herb endemic to Northwest Yunnan, China, belonging to the species-rich genus <i>Swertia</i>. It possesses unique morphological features but its systematic position remains uncertain. To determine its phylogenetic placement, the complete plastid genome of <i>S. divaricata</i> was assembled utilizing high-throughput sequencing data. The genome is circular, spanning 152,073 bp, and comprises a large single-copy (LSC) region of 82,470 bp, a small single-copy (SSC) region of 18,153 bp, and two inverted repeats (IR) regions, each 25,725 bp. A total of 130 genes were annotated, including 85 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and eight rRNA genes. The plastome of <i>S. divaricata</i> exhibits a structure and gene composition highly similar to those of other <i>Swertia</i> plastomes. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that <i>S. divaricata</i> is closely related to <i>S. erythrosticta</i>, sister to a subclade comprising species from sections <i>Swertia</i> and <i>Apterae</i>. The plastome sequence described herein constitutes a valuable contribution to phylogenetic and evolutionary research on <i>Swertia</i>.