A significant breakthrough has been made in the field of South American botany. For over two decades, a mysterious tree found in the Andean cloud forests remained 'unplaced' (incertae sedis) in botanical records. It looked like an oversized version of familiar garden plants. In early 2024, after extensive research updated through 2026, this towering 66-foot (20-meter) tree was officially recognised as a new genus called Daturodendron. Interestingly, it belongs to the Solanaceae family, making it a close relative of tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplants. Researchers at the University of Cartagena and the Royal Botanic Gardens employed cutting-edge phylotranscriptomic analysis on nearly 300 genes. Their findings revealed that this tree acts as a sister to all other members of its tribe, filling an important gap in the evolutionary history of nightshades. Future conservation initiatives will prioritise protecting these unique Andean habitats to preserve genetic biodiversity.
