Paphiopedilum 'GZSLKY Youyou'. is a new cultivar of Paphiopedilum with highly ornamental and horticultural value developed by crossing female parent Paphiopedilum dianthum T. Tang & F. T. Wang 1940 and male parent Paphiopedilum barbigerum T. Tang & F. T. Wang 1940. In this study, the complete chloroplast genome of the cultivar has been reconstructed from the Illumina sequencing data. The circular genome was 160,503 bp in size, containing a large single-copy region (91,582 bp), a small single-copy region (3,215 bp) and a pair of IR regions (each one 32,853 bp). The overall GC contents of the chloroplast genome was 36.20%. The chloroplast genome contained 122 genes, including 76 protein coding genes, 38 tRNA genes and 8 rRNA genes. A maximum likelihood (ML) phylogenetic tree showed that the cultivar 'GZSLKY Youyou' was clustered into the same clade with its parents and was closest related to P. dianthum, reflecting a maternal inheritance of chloroplasts. This complete chloroplast genome resource could be further used for genomic studies, phylogenetic analyses, and genetic engineering and breeding of the genus Paphiopedilum.
Phylogenetic relationships and characterization of the complete chloroplast genome of Paphiopedilum 'GZSLKY Youyou', a hybrid of P. dianthum × P. barbigerum