A new arborescent genus of Datureae (Solanaceae) from Colombia and Peru, with implications for alkaloid evolution

Sierra G.P.; Orejuela A.; Orozco C.I.; Pérez-Mesa P.A.; Alseekh S.; Fernandez-Hilario R.; Fernández-Alonso J.L.; Smith S.D.; Fernie A.R.; Roda F. · Taxon (2026) · DOI: 10.1002/tax.70130

Resumen

Daturodendron absconditum gen. & sp. nov., a monotypic genus of Datureae (Solanaceae), is described based on taxonomic, phylotranscriptomic, and metabolomic evidence. Phylogenetic analyses place Daturodendron as sister to all other members of Datureae, which until now included Datura, Brugmansia, and Trompettia. The tribe has long been a focus of evolutionary studies due to contrasting traits (herbaceous vs. arborescent habit, erect vs. pendent flowers, fleshy indehiscent vs. dry dehiscent fruits) and its characteristic production of tropane alkaloids (TAs), specialized defense compounds with major ethnomedical relevance. Endemic to the Andean regions of Colombia and Peru, Daturodendron is distinguished by its arborescent habit, erect flowers, circumscissile calyx, leathery corollas, and suborbicular to reniform seeds. In D. absconditum, we detected two key TAs, scopolamine and hyoscyamine, consistent with other TA-producing members of Datureae. Ancestral state reconstruction indicates that TA production was likely ancestral in the tribe. Together, these results support the recognition of Daturodendron as a distinct genus within Datureae.