2025

 Ming-Shu Zhu, Zhi-Qiong Mo, Chao-Nan Fu, Wei Zheng , Ya-Huang Luo, Ting Zhang, Jie Cai, De-Zhu Li, Lian-Ming Gao*. 2025. Climate change impacts on Rhododendron diversity: regional responses and conservation strategies in China. Plant Diversity https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pld.2025.05.006

 Zhi-Qiong Mo, Chao-Nan Fu, Alex Twyford, Pete M. Hollingsworth, Ting Zhang, Jun-Bo Yang, De-Zhu Li, Lian-Ming Gao*. 2025. Evaluating the utility of deep genome skimming for phylogenomic analyses: a case study in the species-rich genus Rhododendron. Plant Diversity https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pld.2025.04.006

 Jie Song, Sebastian Seibold, Liang-Liang Ma, Jia-Yun Zou, Jie Liu, Ming-Shu Zhu, Wei Zheng, Zhi-Qiong Mo, Sheng-ping Ming, Jin Li, Kun Xu, De-Zhu Li, Lian-Ming Gao*, Ya-Huang Luo*. 2025. Convergence of leaf and root traits is shaped by different environmental drivers in mountain forests, southwest China. Journal of Biogeography, 0: e15157.

Zong-Fan Shen, Yu-Jing Feng, Michael Möller, Kevin S. Burgess, Han-Tao Qin, Jun-Bo Yang, Zhi-Qiong Mo, Hong-Tao Li, De-Zhu Li*, Lian-Ming Gao *. 2025. Genomic DNA barcodes provide novel insights into species delimitation in the complex Camellia sect. Thea (Theaceae). BMC Plant Biogogy, 25: 570.

Wei Zheng, Li‑Jun Yan, Burgess S. Kevin, Milne I. Richard, Han‑Tao Qin, Shao-Lin Tan, Ya‑Huang Luo, Jia‑Yun Zou, Zhi-Qiong Mo, Lian-Ming Gao*. 2025. Comparative analysis of multiple hybrid zones of Rhododendron × duclouxii reveals diverse evolutionary outcomes among three hybridizing taxa. Plant Diversity https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pld.2025.04.005

Moses C. Wambulwa, Guang-Fu Zhu, Ya-Huang Luo, Zeng-Yuan Wu, Jim Provan, Marc W. Cadotte, Alistair S Jump, Francis N. Wachira, Lian-Ming Gao, Ting-Shuang Yi, Jie Cai, Hong Wang, De-Zhu Li*, Jie Liu*. 2025. Incorporating genetic diversity to optimize the conservation network of plants in the Third Pole. Global Change Biology, 31: e70122.

2024

Sheng-Chang Duan#, Liang Yan#, Zong-Fang Shen#, Bao-Zheng Chen, Han-Tao Qin, Muditha K.  Meegahakumbura, Moses C. Wambulwa, Lian-Ming Gao*, Wei Chen*, Yang Dong*, Jun Sheng*. 2024. Genomic analyses of agronomic traits in tea plants and related Camellia species. Frontiers in Plant Science, 15:1449006.

Ya-Huang Luo, Liang-Liang Ma, Marc W. Cadotte, Sebastian Seibold, Jia-Yun Zou, Kevin S. Burgess, Shao-Lin Tan, Lin-Jiang Ye, Wei Zheng, Zhi-Fa Chen, De-Tuan Liu, Guan-Fu Zhu, Xiao-Chun Shi, Wei Zhao, Zheng Bi, Xiang-Yuan Huang, Jia-Hua Li, Jie Liu*, De-Zhu Li*, Lian-Ming Gao*. 2024. Testing the ectomycorrhizal dominance hypothesis for ecosystem multifunctionality in a subtropical mountain forest. New Phytologist, 243: 2401-2415.

Yue-Hua Hu *, Daniel J. Johnson, Zhen-Hua Sun, Lian-Ming Gao, Han-Dong Wen, Kun Xu, Hua Huang, Weiwei Liu, Min Cao, Ze-Wei Song *, Peter G. Kennedy 2024. Selection dictates the distance pattern of similarity in trees and soil fungi across forest ecosystems. Fungal Diversity, 126: 407-425.

Liang-Liang Ma, Sebastian Seibold, Marc W. Cadotte, Jia-Yun Zou, Jie Song, Zhi-Qiong Mo, Shao-Lin Tan, Lin-Jiang Ye, Wei Zheng, Kevin S. Burgess, Zhi-Fa Chen, De-Tuan Liu, Xing-Liang Yang, Xiao-Chun Shi, Wei Zhao, Jie Liu*, De-Zhu Li, Lian-Ming Gao*, Ya-Huang Luo*. 2024. Niche convergence and biogeographic history shape elevational community assembly in a subtropical mountain forest. Science of The Total Environment, 935: 173343.

Guo-Jin Zhang, Jun-Bo Yang, Cai-Fei Zhang, Bo-Han Jiao, Jose L. Panero, Jie Cai, Zhi-Rong Zhang, Lian-Ming Gao*, Tian-Gang Gao*, Hong Ma *. 2024. Nuclear phylogenomics of Asteraceae with increased sampling provide new insights into morphological and molecular evolution. Plant Communications, 5: 100851.

Jia-Yun Zou, Ya-Huang Luo, Seidl Rupert, Thom Dominik, Jie Liu, Geres Lisa, Richter Tobias, Lin-Jiang Ye, Wei Zheng, Liang-Liang Ma, Jie Song, Kun Xu, Li De-Zhu, Lian-Ming Gao*, Seibold Sebastian*. 2024. No generality in biodiversity-productivity relationships along elevation gradients in temperate and subtropical forest landscapes. Forest Ecosystems, 11: 100187

2023

Han-Tao Qin, Ya-Huang Luo, Guang-Fu Zhu, Michael Mӧller, Richard I. Milne, De-Zhu Li *, Jie Liu*, Lian-Ming Gao*. 2023. Multiple paternally inherited chloroplast capture events associated with Taxus speciation in the Hengduan Mountains. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 189:107915.

Jie Liu*，Ephie A. Magige, Peng-Zhen Fan, Moses C. Wambulwa, Ya-Huang Luo, Hai-Ling Qi, Lian-Ming Gao*, Richard Milne. 2023. Genetic imprints of grafting in wild iron walnut populations in southwestern China. BMC Plant Biology, 23:423.

Zhi-Qiong Mo^#, Jie Wang^#, Michael Mӧller, Jun-Bo Yang, Lian-Ming Gao*. 2023. Phylogenetic relationships of Torreya and next-generation barcodes reveal a high proportion of misidentification of cultivated plants. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 24: 13216.

Miao-Miao Li^#, Kasun M. Meegahakumbura^#, Moses C. Wambulwa^#, Kevin S. Burgess, Michael Möller, Zhong-Fang Shen, De-Zhu Li *, Lian-Ming Gao *. 2024. Genetic analyses of ancient tea trees provide insights into the breeding history and dissemination of Chinese Assam Tea (Camellia sinensis var. assamica). Plant Diversity, 46: 229–237.

Lian-Ming Gao *, Gui-Liang Zhang, Zhi-Qiong Mo, Thomas Philip. 2023. Amentotaxus × hybridia, a new natural Amentotaxus hybrid from southeast Yunnan province, China. PhytoKeys, 226:101–108.

Lin-Jiang Ye, Michael Mӧller, Ya-Huang Luo, Jia-Yun Zou, Wei Zheng, Jie Liu, De-Zhu Li, Lian-Ming Gao*. 2023. Variation in gene expression along an elevation gradient of Rhododendron sanguineum var. haemaleum assessed in a comparative transcriptomic analysis. Frontiers in Plant Science, 14:1133065.

Ya-Huang Luo^#, Liang-Liang Ma^#, Sebastian Seibold, Marc W. Cadotte, Kevin S. Burgess, Shao-Lin Tan, Lin-Jiang Ye, Wei Zheng, Jia-Yun Zou, Zhi-Fa Chen, De- Tuan Liu, Guang-Fu Zhu, Xiao- Chun Shi, Wei Zhao, De-Zhu Li*, Jie Liu*, LianMing Gao*. 2023. The diversity of mycorrhiza-associated fungi and trees shapes subtropical mountain forest ecosystem functioning. Journal of Biogeography, 50: 715-729.

Cen Guo, Yang Luo, Lian-Ming Gao, Ting-Shuang Yi, Hong-Tao Li, Jun-Bo Yang, De-Zhu Li*. 2023. Phylogenomics and the Angiosperm Tree of Life. Journal of Integrative Plant Biology, 65: 299-323.

2022

Zhi-Qiong Mo^#, Chao-Nan Fu^#, Ming-Shu Zhu, Richard Milne, Jun-Bo Yang, Jie Cai, Han-Tao Qing, Wei Zheng, Peter Hollingworth, De-Zhu Li*, Lian-Ming Gao*. 2022. Resolution, conflict and rate shifts: insights from a densely sampled plastome phylogeny forRhododendron(Ericaceae).Annals of Botany，130: 687–701.

Kai Chen, Kevin Burgess, Fang-Liang He, Xiang-Yun Yang, Xie He, Lian-Ming Gao*, De-Zhu Li*. 2022. Seed traits and phylogeny explain plant’s geographic distribution. Biogeosciences, 19: 4801-4810.

Ya-Ping Chen, Fei Zhao, Alan J. Paton, Purayidathkandy Sunojkumar, Lian-Ming Gao*, Chun-Lei Xiang*. 2022.  Plastome sequences fail to resolve shallow level relationships within the rapidly radiated genus Isodon (Lamiaceae). Frontiers in Plant Science, 13: 985488.

Jie Liu, Richard I. Milne, Guang-Fu Zhu, Robert A. Spicer, Moses C. Wambulwa, Zeng-Yuan Wu, David E. Boufford, Ya-Huang Luo, Jim Provan, Wang-Ting Wang, Ting-Shuan Yi, Jie Cai, Hong Wang, Lian-Ming Gao*, De-Zhu Li*. 2022. Name and scale matters: Clarifying the geography of Tibetan Plateau and adjacent mountain regions.Global and Planetary Change, 215: 103893.

Yong Yang *, David K. Ferguson, Bing Liu, Kang-Shan Mao, Lian-Ming Gao, Shou-Zhou Zhang, Tao Wan, Keith Rushforth, Zhi-Xiang Zhang. 2022. Recent advances on phylogeny of gymnosperms and an updated classification. Plant Diversity, 44: 340–350.

Jie Wang, Chao-Nan Fu, Zhi-Qiong Mo, Michael Möller, De-Zhu Li, Lian-Ming Gao*. 2022. Testing complete plastome for species discrimination, cryptic species discovery and phylogenetic resolution in Cephalotaxus (Cephalotaxaceae). Frontiers in Plant Science, 13:768810

Qiong Zhang^#, Lei Zhao^#, Ryan A. Folk, Jian-Li Zhao, Nelson A. Zamora, Pamela Soltis, Doug Soltis, Shi-Xiong Yang,Lian-Ming Gao, Hua Peng*, Xiang-Qin Yu*. 2022. Phylotranscriptomics of Theaceae: generic-level relationships, reticulation and whole-genome duplication. Annals of Botany, 19: 457-471.

Ya-HuangLuo, Marc W. Cadotte, Jie Liu, Kevin S. Burgess, Shao-Lin Tan, Lin- Jiang Ye, Jia-Yun Zou, Zhong-Zheng Chen, Xue-Long Jiang, Juan Li, Kun Xu, De- Zhu Li, Lian-Ming Gao*. 2022. Multitrophic diversity and biotic associations influence subalpine forest ecosystem multifunctionality. Ecology, 103: e3745.

Chao-Nan Fu ^#, Zhi-Qiong Mo ^#, Jun-Bo Yang, Jie Cai, Lin-Jiang Ye, Jia-Yun Zou, Han-Tao Qin, Wei Zheng, Pete M. Hollingsworth, De-Zhu Li*, Lian-Ming Gao*. 2022. Testing genome skimming for species discrimination in the large and taxonomically difficult genus Rhododendron.Molecular Ecology Resources, 22: 404-414.

Moses C. Wambulwa, Peng-Zhen Fan, Richard Milne, Zeng-Yuan Wu, Ya-Huang Luo, Yue-Hua Wang, Hong Wang, Lian-Ming Gao, Zuo-Ying Xiahou, Ye-Chuan Jin, Lin-Jiang Ye, Zu-Chang Xu, Zhi-Chun Yang, De-Zhu Li*, Jie Liu*. 2022. Genetic analysis of walnut cultivars from southwest China: Implications for germplasm improvement. Plant Diversity, 44: 530-541.

2021

Hong-Tao Li^#, Yang Luo^#, Lu Gan^#, Peng-Fei Ma^#, Lian-Ming Gao^#, Jun-Bo Yang^#, Jie Cai, Matthew A. Gitzendanner, Peter W. Fritsch, Ting Zhang, Jian-Jun Jin, Chun-Xia Zeng, Wen-Bin Yu, Hong Wang, Michelle van der Bank, Richard G. Olmstead, Peter M. Hollingsworth, Mark W. Chase, Douglas E. Soltis, Pamela S. Soltis, Ting-Shuang Yi*, De-Zhu Li*. 2021. Plastid phylogenomic insights into relationships of all flowering plant families. BMC Biology,19:3.

Wei Zheng^#, Li-Jun Yan ^#, Kevin Burgess, Yahuang Luo, Jia-Yun Zou, Han-Tao Qin, Ji-Hua Wang*, Lian-Ming Gao*. 2021. Natural hybridization among three Rhododendron species (Ericaceae) revealed by morphological and genomic evidence. BMC Plant Biology, 21:529.

Moses Wambulwa, Richard I. Milne, Zeng-Yuan Wu, Jim Provan, Ya-Huang Luo, Guang-Fu Zhu, Wan-Ting Wang, Hong Wang, Lian-Ming Gao, Jie Liu*, De-Zhu Li*. 2021. Spatio-temporal maintenance of flora in the Himalaya biodiversity hotspot: current knowledge and future perspectives. Ecology and Evolution, 11:10794–1081.

Muyang Lu, Lian-Ming Gao, Hong-Tao Li, Fang-Liang He*. 2021. The patterns of vascular plant discoveries in China. Ecology and Evolution, 11:1378–1388.

Lin-Jiang Ye, Michael Möller, Ya-Huang Luo, Jia-Yun Zou, Wei Zheng, Yue-Hua Wang, Jie Liu, An-Dan Zhu, Jin-Yong Hu, De-Zhu Li*, Lian-Ming Gao*. 2021. Differential expressions of anthocyanin synthesis genes underlies flower color divergence in a sympatric Rhododendron sanguineum complex. BMC Plant Biology, 1:04.

Jia-Yun Zou, Ya-Huang Luo, Kevin S. Burgess, Shao-Lin Tan, Wei Zheng, Chao-Nan Fu, Kun Xu, Lian-Ming Gao*. 2021. Joint effect of phylogenetic relatedness and trait selection on the elevational distribution of Rhododendron species. Journal of Systematics and Evolution, 59: 144-155.

Michael Möller, Jie Liu, Yan Li, Jian-Hua Li, Lin-Jiang Ye, Rorbet R. Mill, De-Zhu Li*, Lian-Ming Gao*. 2020. Repeated intercontinental migrations and recurring hybridizations characterise the evolutionary history of yew (Taxus L.). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 153: 10695