Plastome analysis unveils Inverted Repeat (IR) expansion and positive selection in Sea Lavenders (, Plumbaginaceae, Limonioideae, Limonieae).

The genus , commonly known as Sea Lavenders, is one of the most species-rich genera of the family Plumbaginaceae. In this study, two new plastomes for the genus , viz. and , were sequenced and compared to available plastomes, viz. and , to understand the gene content and structural variations within the family. The loss of the intron and pseudogenisation of was observed. This study reports, for the first time, expansion of the IRs to include the gene in plastomes, incongruent with previous studies. Two positively selected genes, viz. and , were identified. Furthermore, putative barcodes are proposed for the genus, based on the nucleotide diversity of four plastomes.