Interciencia ISSN: 0378-1844
[email protected] Asociación Interciencia Venezuela Medina, Ernesto; Aguiar, Guillermina; Gómez, Matilde; Medina, José D. Patterns of leaf epicuticular waxes in species of clusia: taxonomical implications Interciencia, vol. 29, núm. 10, octubre, 2004, pp. 579-582 Asociación Interciencia Caracas, Venezuela Available in: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=33909707 How to cite Complete issue Scientific Information System More information about this article Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal Journal's homepage in redalyc.org Non-profit academic project, developed under the open access initiative PATTERNS OF LEAF EPICUTICULAR WAXES IN SPECIES OF Clusia: TAXONOMICAL IMPLICATIONS Ernesto Medina, Guillermina Aguiar, Matilde Gómez and José D. Medina SUMMARY The genus Clusia L. (Clusiaceae) encompasses ca. 300 species quantity of hexane-soluble compounds extractable from the leaf sur- and occurs from southern USA and Mexico, to southern Brazil and face, which amount to >90% in Clusia rosea, C. orthoneura, and C. Bolivia. It includes free-standing trees and shrubs, hemiepiphytes, minor, the presence of the triterpenes α-amyrin and lupeol in C. epiphytes, and lianas. Taxonomic analysis of this genus is difficult multiflora, and of friedelin and taraxerol, together with C33 and because of the poor preservation of floral material after drying. C35, in C. grandiflora and C. schomburgkiana. The results suggest This work explores the composition of epicuticular waxes in order that the relative proportions of alkanes and triterpenoids in epicu- to allow characterization, at the species level, using chemical mark- ticular waxes may have taxonomic significance for separating spe- ers.