Phylogenetic and Evolutionary Analysis of Mitochondrial Genomes in Phoebe

The genus Phoebe represents ecologically and economically important members of the Lauraceae family, but their mitochondrial genomes remain largely uncharacterized. We report the complete mitochondrial genome sequences of three species Phoebe zhennan , Phoebe bournei and Phoebe yaiensis , ranging in size from 807,952 to 865,014 base pairs. All three mitogenomes contain 40 conserved protein-coding genes. Comparative analysis identified abundant repetitive sequences, with P. zhennan showing the highest repeat content. RNA editing sites were highly conserved and predominantly increased encoded protein hydrophobicity. Synonymous codon usage favored A/T endings across all species, supporting closer phylogenetic affinity between P. yaiensis and P. zhennan . Chloroplast-derived sequences constituted 5.66–6.06% of the mitogenomes. Evolutionary analysis indicated widespread purifying selection, though nad6 and several other genes exhibited positive selection signals. Phylogenetic reconstruction confirmed Phoebe as monophyletic and sister to Cinnamomum . This study provides foundational mitogenomic resources for understanding evolutionary relationships within Phoebe and Lauraceae.