CHEMOTAXONOMY OF THE TUBER-BEARING SOLANUM SPECIES, SUBSECTION POTATO(SOLANACEAE)

The content of steroidal sapogenins in 50 different species and subspe cies of the subsection Potatoe were analysed by capillary GC-MS. Six a glycones: tomatidenol, tomatidine, solanidine, demissidine, diosgenin and tigogenin could be identified. Of this group of species, 26 taxa h ad never been investigated for content of steroidal sapogenins. Signif icant differences in the content of these compounds between species fr om different series were found. By clustering these results together w ith data from another 25 taxa more evidence for taxonomic relationship s in the subsection Pototoe is given. The incidence of some steroidal sapogenins could be described as being either primitive or advanced, o n the basis of earlier hypothesised evolutionary and phytogeographical relationships for the species in which these compounds were found.