COMPARATIVE-ANALYSIS OF LEAF EXUDATE FLAVONOIDS IN ACHILLEA SUBSECT FILIPENDULINAE

Several populations each of 21 species united in subsect. Filipendudin ae of Achillea sect. Millefolium have been studied for their leaf exud ate flavonoids. Most species accumulated mainly methyl ethers of the f lavonols 6-hydroxykaempferol and quercetagetin, predominantly as 4'-me thylated derivatives. However, A. biebersteinii and allied species exh ibited a strong tendency towards the formation of 3'-substituted analo gues which are of very restricted occurrence within Achillea. The morp hologically distinct species around A. ochroleuca are characterized by the additional formation of 6-hydroxyflavone methyl ethers which were rarely encountered in significant amounts in all the other studied ta xa of this subsection. In some taxa, infraspecific variability was qui te high, reflecting morphological and cytological plasticity. Relation ships among these species as well as systematic and ecological aspects are briefly discussed. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd