Xylem resin composition and chemotaxonomy of three varieties of Pinus caribaea
Abstract
Xylem resin composition was determined for 161 individual trees from three varieties of<i> Pinus caribaea</i> growing in Zimbabwe. Turpentine from all three varieties, viz., var. caribaea (one provenance), var.<i> bahamensis</i> (four provenances) and var.<i> hondurensis</i> (four provenances), was characterized by large amounts of α-pinene and β-phellandrene, together accounting for 80–90% of the terpenes. Although tree-to-tree variation was often considerable, provenance means were sufficiently consistent to be able to distinguish between var. bahamensis and var.<i> hondurensis</i> on the basis of these two terpenes. Pinus caribaea var.<i> hondurensis</i> was further distinguished from the other two varieties by the absence of bornyl acetate and the presence of longifolene and associated sesquiterpenes. The presence of relatively large amounts of isopimaric acid in var.<i> bahamensis</i> (ca 20%) served to distinguish it from the other two varieties (where it ranged from 5 to 9%). Elliotinoic acid, rarely found in Pinus species, was present in var,<i> bahamensis</i> and this finding provides new evidence to support the close chemotaxonomic affinity between P. caribaea var. bahamensis and P. elliottii
Citation
Phytochemistry (1993) 33 (5) 1103-1111 [10.1016/0031-9422(93)85031-L]
Links
Xylem resin composition and chemotaxonomy of three varieties of Pinus caribaea