An international collective of researchers has formally ratified that a recently found, unusual tree species native to South America ought to be categorized as a novel genus within the nightshade family (Solanaceae).
The investigators characterized the specimen as a towering tree, sharing an ancient lineage with both potatoes and tomatoes. It has been designated the name Daturodendron, which the scientists clarified translates to “tree-like relative of the deadly nightshade (Datura).” The findings resulting from this discovery were made public in the journal Taxon following an intensive examination of both dried herbarium specimens and living samples sourced from the forest environment.
The species, named Daturodendron absconditum, demonstrates considerable structural divergence when compared to the standard herbaceous members of the Solanaceae family. Experts observed that this is a fully realized tree, possessing a single, robust trunk and capable of attaining heights up to 20 meters.
According to biological assessments, this tree is restricted solely to the dense, humid montane forests spanning sections of Colombia and northern Peru, thriving at elevations ranging between 1,300 and 2,100 meters.
Botanists identified several other distinguishing characteristics of this new arboreal entity. Notably, they pointed out that the plant’s blossoms are oriented directly skyward, a clear contrast to the drooping inflorescences typical of most related species. Furthermore, the tree bears hard, sealed fruit capsules.
Upon sequencing the DNA of this new species and comparing its genes against nearly three hundred other plant varieties, biologists concluded that Daturodendron represents not merely a recent offshoot, but rather the most ancestral lineage within its subfamily. Specialists emphasized that analyzing this tree holds the potential to illuminate the morphology of the ancestors of contemporary potatoes from millions of years past.
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