Dated Phylogeny of Banisteriopsis (Malpighiaceae) Suggests an Ancient Colonization of the Cerrado and No Evidence of Human Manipulation in the Origin of B. caapi.
Plants (Basel, Switzerland) April 7, 2025 Thais A C Santos, Bruno S Amorim, Jefferson R Maciel et al. 1 citation
Banisteriopsis, a genus in the Malpighiaceae family with 61 species, includes B. caapi, a key ingredient in Ayahuasca tea. Analyzing 38 species (over 60% of the genus) using plastid and nuclear DNA, researchers found that Banisteriopsis originated in the Miocene about 22 million years ago. Its diversification coincided with the expansion of dry areas in South America. The genus colonized the Cerrado earlier than most plants, and the biome later served as a source of species for Neotropical rainforests. Results suggest an ancient origin for B. caapi, with no evidence of human manipulation in its diversification, supporting archaeological evidence of millennia-old exchange of uses among Amazonian peoples.