Scientists have classified a towering 66-foot (20-meter) tree in the Andean cloud forests of Colombia and Peru as a new genus, Daturodendron, ending over two decades of botanical uncertainty. Researchers from the University of Cartagena and the Royal Botanic Gardens confirmed its placement in the Solanaceae family, which includes tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplants, using phylotranscriptomic analysis of nearly 300 genes.

The tree belongs to the Datureae tribe and is distinguished by its pendant flowers, tough floral structures, and unique seed morphology. Genetic evidence shows Daturodendron is the sister lineage to all other members of the tribe, offering critical insight into the evolutionary transition from fleshy berries to dry capsular fruits in nightshades.

Daturodendron produces tropane alkaloids such as scopolamine and hyoscyamine, compounds with medicinal and toxic properties found in other nightshades. The genus is restricted to high-altitude regions in Colombia and Peru, where it has developed complex chemical defences over millions of years.

Findings have been published via Research Gate and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), with further taxonomic and biochemical studies expected. The journal Taxon has formally accepted the classification, and research teams plan to assess conservation status due to the species' limited range.