The first complete chloroplast genome sequence of Sterculia foetida Linnaeus (Malvaceae) and a comparative phylogenetic analysis

Sterculia foetida L. (1753), a tree species in the family Malvaceae, is widely cultivated in tropical regions for its applications in food, medicine, and biodiesel production. This study reports the first complete chloroplast genome sequence of S. foetida, which is 162,637 bp long with a GC content of 36.68%, containing a large single-copy region (91,324 bp), a small single-copy region (20,347 bp), and two inverted repeat regions (25,483 bp each). The genome encodes 130 genes: 85 protein-coding genes, eight rRNA genes, and 37 tRNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis shows S. foetida is closely related to S. pexa.