DEGRADED TERPENES OF TAXODIOXYLON GYPSACEUM AND ITS LIKELY ORIGINAL TERPENE COMPOSITION

Fossil woods from the lignite quarry of S. Barbara (Arno basin, Italy) were investigated for their terpene content. Comparison was made with the samples of the same mine, recently identified as Taxodioxylon gyp saceum, and with the Taxodioxylon gypsaceum of the fossil forest of Du narobba (Central Italy). The new sample exhibited a terpene compositio n similar to that of the previous ones except for iso-phyllocladene, t he presence of which could be ascribed to the different ageing environ ment. Complete analyses of terpenes of Cryptomeria japonica, a species belonging to the Taxodiaceae, have shown that its terpene composition represents with good approximation the original one of Taxodioxylon g ypsaceum.