Chemistry in Botanical Classification: Medicine and Natural Sciences

Medicine and Natural Sciences: Chemistry in Botanical Classification contains the proceedings of the Twenty-Fifth Nobel Symposium held in Sodergarn, Sweden, on August 20-25, 1973. The papers explore the chemical approach to plant classification and cover topics ranging from chemosystematics and applications of special classes of compounds to insects and plant chemotaxonomy. Biosynthetic pathways in chemical phylogeny and some aspects of organic geochemistry are also discussed.
This book is comprised of 32 chapters divided into five sections. The first chapter provides an overview of the chemical approach to botanical classification, with special reference to the higher taxa of Magnoliophyta. The reader is then introduced to chemosystematics and the construction of phylogenetic schemes, as well as the use of a chemical character for the classification of living organisms. The following chapters focus on The chemistry of disjunct taxa; homology of biosynthetic routes; and applications of special classes of compounds such as flavonoids. The systematic distribution of ellagitannins in relation to the phylogeny and classification of the angiosperms is also considered. The final chapter describes phytochemical and biological procedures for screening of plant materials.
This monograph will be of value to botanists, plant taxonomists, and chemists.

Contenu

Foreword
Sponsors
Nobel Symposium Committee
Organizing Committee
List of Participants
Author Index
Opening Speech
General Aspects on Plant Chemotaxonomy
The Chemical Approach to Plant Classification with Special Reference to the Higher Taxa of Magnoliophyta
Chemical Plant Taxonomy: A Generalizes View of a Promising Specialty
Chemosystematics-An Artificial Discipline
A Chemical Compound as a Taxonomic Character
The Chemistry of Disjunct Taxa
Homology of Biosynthetic Routes: The Base in Chemotaxonomy
Applications of Special Classes of Compounds
Flavonoids
Flavonoids as Evolutionary Markers in Primitive Tracheophytes
Systematic Distribution of Ellagitannins in Relation to the Phylogeny and Classification of the Angiosperms
Flavonoids as Systematic Markers in the Angiosperms
Flavonoids in Bryophytes (Presented by G. Bendz)
Red Pigments in the Juncaceae Family (Presented by A. Fredga)
Terpenoids
Volatile Constituents, Especially Terpenes, and Their Utility and Potential as Taxonomic Characters in Populational Studies (Presented by B. L. Turner)
Some Aspects of the Distribution of Diterpenes in Plants
Chemical Constitution and Botanical Affinity in Artemisia (Presented by T. A. Geissman)
Chemotypen von Chrysanthemum Vulgare (L.) Bernh. (Presented by M. von Schantz)
Pseudoguaianolides in Compositae
Distribution of Tetracyclic Triterpenoids of Lanostane Group in pore Fungi (Basidiomycetes) (Presented by S. Natori)
Applying Chemistry to Genetics in Certain Solanaceae
Alkaloids
The use of Alkaloids in Determining the Taxonomic Position of Vinca libanotica (Apocynaceae) (Presented by N. R. Farnsworth)
The Quinolizidine Alkaloids
Polypeptides, Glucosinolates and Glycolipides
The Use of Amino Acid Sequence Data in the Classification of Higher Plants
The Interpretation of Comparative Serological Results
The Natural Distribution of Glucosinolates: A Uniform Group of Sulfur-Containing Glucosides
The Chemistry of Resin Glycosides of the Convolvulaceae Family
Lichen Compounds
Some Aspects of Lichen Chemotaxonomy
Insects and Plant Chemotaxonomy
The Pollination of Ophrys Orchids
Biosynthesis and Phylogeny
Biosynthetic Pathways in Chemical Phylogeny
Some Aspects of Organic Geochemistry
Application of Combined Chemical Characters
Is the Order Centrospermae Monophyletic?
Population Structure in Circaea lutetiana, C. alpina and C. x intermedia (Onagraceae) as Revealed by Thin-Layer Chromatographic Patterns
Chemosystematics in the Classification of Cultivars
Biological and Chemical Screening of Plant Materials
General Discussion
List of Angiosperm Families in need of Chemical Investigation
Concluding Remarks