New cyclic penta or hexapeptides, dichotomins A - E [A: cyclo(-Gly-Thr
-Phe-Leu-Tyr-Val-); B: cyclo(-Gly-Thr-Phe-Leu-Tyr-Thr-); C: cyclo(-Gly
-Thr-Phe-Leu-Tyr-Ala-); D: cyclo(-Gly-Val-Gly-Phe-Tyr-Ile-); E: cyclo(
-Gly-Tyr-Ala-Phe-Ala-)], have been isolated from the roots of Stellari
a dichotoma L. var. lanceolata Bge. Their structures were elucidated o
n the basis of extensive 2D NMR, chemical degradation and X-ray crysta
llographic analysis.