Comparative chromosome-scale genomics of the ayahuasca liana Banisteriopsis caapi reveals paleopolyploid ancestry and recent tandem-gene expansions as candidate signatures of ethnovariety differentiation
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) October 16, 2026 Vitor Trinca, Francisco Prosdocimi, Pedro Côrtes et al. preprint
Background: Banisteriopsis caapi is the Amazonian liana that provides the β-carboline-rich vine component of ayahuasca, a traditional Amazonian psychoactive preparation used in Indigenous and ceremonial contexts. The species encompasses culturally recognized ethnovarieties, some differing in stem architecture. Despite its cultural, ecological, and pharmacological importance, B. caapi remains...