THE CHEMOTAXONOMY OF PHENOLIC COMPOUNDS IN BRYOPHYTES

Abstract

  The occurrence of several types of phenolic compounds in bryophytes is now clearly established, although there is still a limited knowledge on the chemistry of phenolics in hornworts. Thus chemotaxonomic conclusions are until now only possible from phenolic compounds of mosses and liverworts. The phenolic constituents of bryophytes are divided into two groups: those with one and others with two or more aromatic ring systems. Compounds of the first group have been detected in mosses only a few times; they are more common in liverworts. Their occurrence in liverworts is presented in a table, their chemosystematic relevance is discussed. Compounds of the second group are divided in the following types: bibenzyls, bisbibenzyls, flavonoids and miscellaneous structures. All types except flavonoids and sphagnorubins are known only from liverworts. Their distribution and structures are also shown in several tables. Flavonoids were reported from liverworts and mosses. Their occurrence and distribution in both classes is discussed and presented in various tables. Their chemotaxonomic relevance is shown for several examples. In final conclusions results and problems of chemotaxonomic work on phenolic compounds in bryophytes are summarized.