The use of hydroxystilbene compounds as taxonomic tracers in the genus <i>Eucalyptus</i>

Abstract

Hathway & Seakins (1959a) reported the isolation of 3,5,4'-trihydroxystilbene and its 3,-D-glucoside from Eucalyptus wandoo heartwood. Enzymic studies show that both these substances behave as active cellulase inhibitors at a concentration of 10-4M, and a preliminary communication (Hathway & Seakins, 1959b) suggests that these hydroxy- stilbene compounds may be useful as taxonomic tracers in the genus Eucalyptus. In this con- nexion, Erdtman (1958) has investigated the significance of the incidence of 3,5-dihydroxyand 3-hydroxy-5-methoxy-stilbenes in pine heartwoods in the taxonomy of the genus Pinus, and a similar investigation of eucalypt heartwoods has now been made in the subsection Longiores of the genus Eucalyptus to which E. wandoo belongs.