Rong Zhang
Junior Editors, Plant Diversity
Kunming Institute of Botany, CAS, Kunming, China
Area of expertise: Taxonomy, phylogenetics, and phylogenomics of plants
Kunming Institute of Botany, CAS, Kunming, China
Area of expertise: Taxonomy, phylogenetics, and phylogenomics of plants
Title: Associate Researcher
Email: zhangronga@mail.kib.ac.cn
Web-link of Research Group: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Rong-Zhang-59?ev=hdr_xprf
Selected publications (no more than 15): (#Co-first author, *Co-corresponding author)
Zhang Rong, Stull Gregory W., Jin Jian-Jun, Wang Yin-Huan, Guo Ying, Yang Zhi-Yun, Li Hong-Tao, Charboneau Joseph L. M., Folk Ryan A., Cardoso Domingos, Queiroz Luciano P. de, Bruneau Anne, Soltis Pamela S., Soltis Douglas E., Smith Stephen A., Li De-Zhu*, Yi Ting-Shuang*. 2026. Phylogenetic resolution and conflict in the species-rich flowering plant family Leguminosae. Systematic Biology, 75(2): 236–258.
Zhang Rong†, Wang Yin-Huan†, Jin Jian-Jun†, Stull Gregory W., Bruneau Anne, Cardoso Domingo, de Queiroz Luciano P., Moore Michael J., Zhang Shu-Dong, Chen Si-Yun, Wang Jian, Li De-Zhu*, Yi Ting-Shuang*. 2020. Plastid phylogenomic insights into deep relationships of Leguminosae with conflicting signals on some nodes. Systematic Biology 69: 613–622.
Liu Hui#, Hou Ling#, Lan Liying#, Zhang Rong#, Wang Ding-Jie#, Feng Huan, Chen Cun-Yan, Ye Jun-Jie, Oyebanji O. Oyetola, Chukwuma Emmanuel C., Chen Si-Yun, Tong Yi-Xiao, Yang Jun-Bo, Yang Jun, Murray Jeremy D., Soltis Pamela S., Soltis Douglas E., Zhang Xiao-Wei*, Li De-Zhu*, Yi Ting-Shuang*, Wang Ertao*. 2026. Evolution of root nodule symbiosis via paleopolyploidy and modular pathway rewiring. Cell Host & Microbe 29: S1931–3128(26)00001-6.
Rahaingoson Fabien Robert, Gu Wei, Oyebanji Oyetola, Liu Shui‐Yin, Tian Qin, Liu Jian, Stull Gregory W., Folk Ryan A., Wang Jian, Soltis Douglas E., Soltis Pamela S., Yi Ting‐Shuang*, Zhang Rong*. 2026. Phylogenomics, species diversification, and biogeography of Dalbergia (Leguminosae) using hybrid capture of nuclear genes. Journal of Systematics and Evolution 64(4): 776–792.
An Kai-Lun, Gu Wei, Lu Qing, Wang Ding-Jie, Xiahou Zuo-Ying, Fu Xiao-Gang, Zhao Libo, Yang Zhi-Yun, Henry Robert, Wang Jian*, Zhang Rong*, Yi Ting-Shuang*. 2026. Plastome evolution and phylogenomics of Glycine (Leguminosae: Papilionoideae). BMC Plant Biology 26:686.
Deng Wen, Li Hui-Long, Gu Wei, An Kai-Lun, Zhao Li-Bo, Fu Xiao-Gang, Wang Ding-Jie, Chen Si-Yun, Liu Cheng, Zhao Xue-Li, Yi Ting-Shuang*, Zhang Rong*. 2026. Plastome evolution and phylogenomic insights from representative taxa across all nine subfamilies of Malvaceae. BMC Plant Biology, in press.
Li Hui-Long, Deng Wen, Yang Chen-Xuan, Gu Wei, Liu Cheng, Zhang Da-Cai, Wang Jian, Yi Ting-Shuang, Zhang Rong. 2026. Comparative plastome analysis and plastomic phylogeny of Moraceae with expanded species-level sampling. BMC Plant Biology, in press.
Zhao Libo, An Kailun, Gu Wei, Lu Qing, Wang Ding-Jie, XiaHou Zuoying, Zhang Rong*, Yi Ting-Shuang*. 2025. Dispersed repeats and inverted repeat expansion drive major plastomic rearrangements in Calliandra haematocephala (Leguminosae: Mimoseae). Frontiers in Plant Science 16: 1673127.
Rahaingoson Fabien R, Oyebanji Oyebanji, Stull Gregory, Zhang Rong*, Yi Ting-Shuang*. 2022. A dated phylogeny of the pantropical genus Dalbergia L.f. (Leguminosae: Papilionoideae) and its implications for historical biogeography. Agronomy 12, 1612.
Zhang Rong, Gong Xun*, Folk Ryan. 2017. Evidence for continual hybridization rather than hybrid speciation between Ligularia duciformis and L. paradoxa (Asteraceae). PeerJ 5: e3884.
Zhang Rong, Yi Ting-Shuang, Pan Bo*. 2018. Pseudarthria panii (Fabaceae: Desmodieae), a new species from Asia, 120 years after its first collection. Phytotaxa 367: 265–274.
Zhang Rong, Jin Jian-Jun, Moore Michael J., Yi Ting-Shuang*. 2019. Assembly and comparative analyses of the mitochondrial genome of Castanospermum australe A.Cunn. & C.Fraser (Papilionoideae, Leguminosae). Australian Systematic Botany 32: 484–494.
Bai Han-Rui, Oyebanji Oyetola, Zhang Rong*, Yi Ting-Shuang*. 2021. Plastid phylogenomic insights into the evolution of subfamily Dialioideae (Leguminosae). Plant Diversity 43: 27–34.
Zhao Yiyong, Zhang Rong, Jiang Kai-Wen, Qi Ji, Hu Yi, Guo Jing, Zhu Renbin, Zhang Taikui, Egan Ashley N., Yi Ting-Shuang*, Huang Chien-Hsun*, Ma Hong*. 2021. Nuclear phylotranscriptomics and phylogenomics support numerous polyploidization events and hypotheses for the evolution of rhizobial nitrogen-fixing symbiosis in Fabaceae. Molecular Plant 14: 748–773.
Fonseca-Cortés Andrés*, Zhang Rong, Cardoso Domingos, Li Hui-Long, Snak Cristiane, de Queiroz Luciano Paganucci, Yi Ting-Shuang. 2026. Plastome and nuclear data unveils the evolutionary history and a new infrageneric classification of the pantropical papilionoid legume genus Macropsychanthus. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 00: 1–18.