Flavone aglycones in glandular hairs of Origanum x intercedens.

On the leaf surfaces of Origanum x intercedens numerous peltate glandular hairs producing essential oil occur. Although all glandular hairs have the same anatomical and developmental pattern, they differ in the appearance of the contents of the subcuticular space. Thus, in many hairs the subcuticular space is homogeneously filled with essential oil, whereas in others, within the mass of the oil numerous droplets constituting another phase exist. These droplets were tested for the presence of flavone aglycones. From the chloroform extract of glandular hairs, the free flavone aglycones thymusin(5,6,4'-trihydroxy-7,8-dimethoxyflavone), 5,6,4'-trihydroxy-7,3'-dimethoxyflavone, thymonin (5,6,4'-trihydroxy-7,8,3'-trimethoxyflavone), cirsimaritin (5,4'-dihydroxy-6,7-dimethoxyflavone), and genkwanin (5,4'-dihydroxy-7-methoxyflavone) have been isolated and identified by spectral methods.