Characterization of the complete plastid genome of Astelia australiana (J. H. Willis) L. B. Moore (Asteliaceae, Asparagales)

Michael D Amor; Gareth D Holmes; Elizabeth A James

doi:10.1080/23802359.2019.1711233

Characterization of the complete plastid genome of Astelia australiana (J. H. Willis) L. B. Moore (Asteliaceae, Asparagales)

Mitochondrial DNA B Resour. 2020 Jan 16;5(1):656-657. doi: 10.1080/23802359.2019.1711233.

Authors

Michael D Amor¹, Gareth D Holmes¹, Elizabeth A James¹

Affiliation

¹ Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, South Yarra, Australia.

Abstract

Astelia australiana is a robust understorey plant with a highly restricted distribution in southeastern Australia. Here we report its complete plastid genome. The genome was 157,943 bp in length and comprises a pair of inverted repeats (IRs) of 27,028 bp separated by a large single-copy region (LSC) of 85,699 bp, and a small single-copy region (SSC) of 18,188 bp. The GC content was 37.7%. In total, 132 genes were annotated including 81 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 38 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis of the PCGs from A. australiana aligned with those from 10 Asparagales representatives confirms that, based on these taxa, A. australiana is sister to A. pumila and sits within the Asteliaceae.

Keywords: Astelia australiana; conservation; disjunct; plastid; rare species.

Grants and funding

This study was supported by the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria as an adjunct to a population genetic analysis of Astelia australiana funded by the Foundation for Australia’s Most Endangered Species Ltd. (FAME) and the Otways Conservation Ecology Center.