Occurrence of Asperuloside in Daphniphyllum macropodum (Euphorbiaceæ) and a closely related Glucoside in Monotropa hypopitys Walt. (Pyrolaceæ)

Abstract

AS knowledge of the chemical constitution of plant products extends, types of substances, and individual substances, which were formerly thought to be characteristic of certain taxonomic divisions of plants, are found to occur in divisions, which, on other grounds, are considered to be unrelated. The glucoside asperuloside, first isolated by Hérissey¹, has hitherto been regarded as a characteristic product of plants of the family Rubiaceæ and has been isolated from many of its species. It will be of interest to the student of chemical taxonomy that, in the course of a study of asperuloside, this glucoside has been isolated from Daphniphyllum macropodum, which is a Chinese plant of uncertain affinity, placed in the family Euphorbiaceæ, and that a very similar glucoside occurs in the uncommon saprophytic plant Monotropa hypopitys Walt., which is placed in the Ericales, family Pyrolaceæ.