The complete chloroplast genome sequence of <i>Lophophora diffusa</i>.

Abstract

<i>Lophophora diffusa</i> is a psychoactive plant of Cactaceae, morphologically similar to the mescaline-rich <i>Lophophora williamsii</i> but with a distinct alkaloid profile, posing significant challenges for law enforcement. Here, we sequenced the complete chloroplast genome of <i>L. diffusa</i> using PacBio high-throughput sequencing technology. The chloroplast genome is 115,689 bp in length and exhibits a highly derived quadripartite structure, featuring a large single-copy (LSC) region of 79,403 bp, a small single-copy (SSC) region of 32,910 bp, and a pair of significantly reduced inverted repeat (IR) regions of 1,688 bp each. It encodes 100 unique genes and has a GC content of 36.52%. Phylogenetic analysis robustly resolved the position of <i>L. diffusa</i>, formed a monophyletic <i>Lophophora</i> clade that includes <i>L. fricii</i> and <i>L. williamsii</i>; under the current sampling, this clade was resolved as sister to a group containing <i>Mammillaria</i> species. This study provides a foundational genomic resource for future development of precise molecular tools to distinguish <i>L. williamsii</i> from its relatives, thereby supporting forensic botany and international narcotics control efforts.

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