FATTY-ACID PATTERNS OF RANUNCULACEAE SEED OILS - PHYLOGENETIC-RELATIONSHIPS

The current interest in renewable resources has led to research regard ing the occurrence and distribution of unusual and technically interes ting fatty acids. Their sporadic occurrence in seed fats is geneticall y determined and they are highly significant indicators of phylogeneti c relationships. Capillary gas chromatographic ,,fingerprints'' of unu sual fatty acids can be used in chemotaxonomic studies. In the family Ranunculaceae a large number of unusual fatty acids occurs and the see d fatty acid patterns observed are highly correlated to plant genus. D ifferences in fatty acid patterns illustrate a separate position of A. rivularis within the genus Anemone and show similarities between this species on the one hand and Caltha, Cimicifuga and Actaea on the othe r hand.