In Linhares, Espírito Santo, Brazil, three new plant species have been identified as native to the Atlantic Forest. Two of these species, discovered within the Vale Natural Reserve, belong to the Marantaceae family. They have been named Saranthe rufopilosa F.Fraga & J.M.A.Braga and Ctenanthe brevibractea F.Fraga & J.M.A.Braga.
The identification of these species took 20 years, involving detailed screening to confirm their distinction from other species within the Marantaceae family. In January 2025, researchers from the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden published a scientific article in the journal Phytotaxa describing the species.
The third species, found near the reserve, is from the Solanum genus, which includes plants like eggplant and tomato. Only two samples of this plant have been collected, with a 200-year gap between collections. Researchers from the Natural History Museum (London), UFMG, and UFPB described the plant, named Solanum phrixothrix Gouvêa & S.Knapp, in the journal PhytoKeys in March 2025.