A chemotaxonomic study of nine Canarian Sideritis species.

Nine taxa of the Sideritis genus, Sideritis argosphacelus var. spicata, Sideritis candicans var. eriocephala,Sideritis discolor, Sideritis kuegleriana, Sideritis lotsyi, Sideritis lotsyi var. mascaensis, Sideritis marmorea, Sideritis soluta and Sideritis tenoi, which are endemic from the Canary Islands, have been chemically studied. The diterpene sicanatriol 7beta,18-diacetate was obtained from S. argosphacelus var. spicata, whilst a nor-diterpene, epiadejone, and the 3(2H)-benzofuranone solutin have been found in S. soluta. Another diterpene, sidendrodiol 18-monoacetate, has been isolated from S. argosphacelus var. spicata, for the first time as a natural product. Known sesquiterpenes, diterpenes, triterpenes, sterols, flavones, coumarins and other aromatic derivatives have also been isolated. These studies support the botanical division of the genus into two subgenera, Sideritis and Marrubiastrum, the three sections of the latter subgenus, Cretica, Empedocleopsis and Marrubiastrum, and the elevation of S. argosphacelus var. spicata, S. candicans var. eriocephala and S. lotsyi var. mascaensis to the rank of species.