Abstract
Phyllanthus acidus (L.) Skeels (Phyllanthaceae) is a potential medicinal plant recognized for its sour and tart-tasting fruits. In this study, the chloroplast genome of P. acidus was sequenced, assembled, and characterized. The chloroplast genome size was 156,331 bp, and the overall GC content was 36.9%. Additionally, the chloroplast genome had a quadripartite structure consisting of a large single copy (LSC; 85,807 bp in length; GC content: 34.6%), a small single copy (SSC; 19,262 bp in length; GC content: 30.6%), and two inverted repeat regions (IR; 25,631 bp in length; GC content: 43.1%). A total of 113 unique genes were annotated in the chloroplast genome, including 79 protein-coding genes, 30 tRNAs, and four rRNAs. The phylogenetic analysis based on 79 protein-coding genes revealed the paraphyly of the Phyllanthus genus. These findings provided additional genetic information for further research on P. acidus and the cp genome in the Phyllanthaceae family.