The complete chloroplast genome sequence and phylogenetic analysis of an invasive plant Solanum carolinense Linnaeus (Solanaceae) in Korea

Solanum carolinense Linnaeus, belonging to the family Solanaceae, is a perennial herb or subshrub. S. carolinense has become naturalized in Korea as an invasive species, forming a stable population that has grown naturally with native plants for more than 10 years. However, its chloroplast genome structure and complete sequence have not yet been reported. Therefore, we determined the complete chloroplast genome sequence of S. carolinense using genome sequencing, assembly, and annotation. The total length of the chloroplast genome was 155,315 bp with a GC content of 37.6%. It featured a quadripartite structure (a large single-copy region, 86,160 bp; a small single-copy region, 18,459 bp; and two inverted repeat regions, 25,348 bp each). It contains 129 genes, including 84 coding sequences (CDSs), 37 tRNA genes, 8 rRNA genes, and one pseudogene. Phylogenetic analysis of 78 CDSs revealed that S. carolinense is closely related to S. aridum Morong and S. hieronymi Kuntze. These results provide a molecular foundation for phylogenetic and evolutionary studies of the genus Solanum and present a fundamental chloroplast genomic resource for future invasion biology research.