Abstract
In the current study, we sequenced the complete plastome of Monstera deliciosa Liebm. (1849), an attractive foliage plant. The total length of the plastome of M. deliciosa is 163,499 bp and it consists of three distinct regions: a large single-copy (90,092 bp), a small single-copy (21,737 bp), and a pair of inverted repeats (IRs, 25,835 bp). The overall GC content is 36.2%, and the genome contains 110 functional genes, excluding pseudogenes. These functional genes encompass 77 protein-coding genes, 29 transfer RNA genes, and four ribosomal RNA genes. Notably, both the infA and rpl23 genes have been identified as pseudogenes. Phylogenetic analysis based on 14 representative plastomes from seven subfamilies indicates that Monsteroideae is monophyletic and sister to Pothoideae. Furthermore, M. deliciosa and M. adansonii were shown to share a recent common ancestor, the finding for which is supported by a strong bootstrap value. The sequenced plastome of M. deliciosa can serve as a valuable resource for establishing phylogenetic relationships and enhancing species identification within the genus Monstera. In addition, it can facilitate investigations into the genetic characteristics of this plant.