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Satureja kitaibelii Wierzb. ex Heuff. is endemic species of central Balkan that lives along the Balkan mountains range. The aim of this research was to study the variability of n-alkane profiles of four S. kitaibelii populations growing wild in Serbia in regards to biogeography and chemotaxonomy. Using GC/MS and GC/FID, seventeen n-alkane homologues (C19–C35) were identified. n-Hentriacontane (C31) was dominant in all populations, except in population Djerdap and Rtanj were it was co-dominant with n-nonacosane (C29). Population Temsica and Poganovo also had high percentages of n-nonacosane and n-tritriacontane (C33). However, these two compounds had similar quantities in population Poganovo. Statistical analyses showed differences between studied populations based on n-alkane profiles. Moreover, geographically closer populations had a similar profile.

This is the first report on population differentiation based on composition of three different compound classes ( n -alkanes, primary alcohols and diterpenes) in the epicuticular waxes of European black pine ( Pinus nigra ) from Balkan Peninsula and Southern Carpathians. The n -hexane extracts of 263 samples, originating from 15 native populations of four P. nigra subspecies ( nigra , dalmatica , banatica and pallasiana ), were investigated by GC-MS and GC-FID analyses. In all studied populations n -alkanes represent the most abundant compound group, while the contents of diterpenes and alcohols were lower and variable. Multivariate statistical analyses (Canonical Discriminant Analysis and Agglomerative Hierarchical Clustering) suggest existence of two clearly differentiated chemical entities with the basic difference in the content of primary alcohols (especially cis -9-octadecen-1-ol and 1-hexadecanol). The first group (low alcohol content) included all populations of ssp. nigra , ssp. dalmatica and ssp. banatica , as well as the two northernmost populations of ssp. pallasiana from Serbia and Bulgaria, while the second group (high alcohol content) comprised individuals from Greek and Macedonian populations of ssp. pallasiana . According to the recently proposed concept of ancient split of major genetic lineages of P. nigra , both chemical entities detected in this study belong to the same (Balkan Peninsula) genetic group. Taxonomic implications of given results are briefly discussed in relation with previous data based on morphological and molecular characters.

Juniperus deltoides R.P.Adams is a prickly, evergreen shrub that grows in the East Mediterranean on dry hills and mountains. Needle-like leaves have a thick cuticular layer on the surface, which serves as the ultimate barrier for prevention of water loss. n-Alkanes comprise the biggest part of this hydrophobic wax mixture. These compounds are studied as chemophenetic characters due to their chemical and physiological stability, and strong genetic control. Six central Balkan populations were studied and compared to one eastern and one western. Fifteen n-alkanes were identified, with C33 being dominant in all samples. Univariate and multivariate statistical analyses separated western population from all central Balkan populations, while the eastern Balkan population showed high similarity with the central ones. Climatic, orographic and pedological characteristics of the studied localities were also taken into account.

In this work we analysed the essential oils (EO) obtained by hydrodistillation from the aerial parts of five Artemisia species (A. arborescens L., A. campestris L., A. lobelii All., A. annua L. and A. absinthium L.) originated from Serbia, Montenegro, and Libya, by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. In total, 126 compounds were detected, and 120 were identified. Even though a high number of compounds were detected, each individual sample had only 25 to 50, attesting to a great diversity of compounds between taxa. Depending on the species and the locality (geographical origin), EO was dominated by either monoterpenes or sesquiterpenes, with β-pinene, chamazulene, germacrene D, camphor, pinocarvone and thuja-2,4(10)-diene being the dominant compounds. The chemophenetic value of the EO compositions was discussed in relation to the results of the multivariate statistical test, including the detailed survey of the available literature data.

External flavonoids of 40 Macedonian species and infraspecific taxa of Thymus, belonging to sections Marginati, Pseudothymbra and Serpyllum, were studied by HPLC combined with diode array detection and atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation mass spectrometry. Nineteen different flavones were identified and the most common and abundant compound was 5,6-dihydroxy-7,3′,4′-trimethoxyflavone. Most species also produce surface flavanones, including eriodictyol, naringenin and isosakuranetin. The external flavonoid profiles found in species of Thymus provide useful additional taxonomic characters at various different levels of classification.

Thirty-one accessions of nine species belonging to three subgenera of Ocimum (basil, family Lamiaceae) were surveyed for flavonoid glycosides. Substantial infraspecific differences in flavonoid profiles of the leaves were found only in O. americanum , where var. pilosum accumulated the flavone C -glycoside, vicenin-2, which only occurred in trace amounts in var. americanum and was not detected in cv. Sacred. The major flavonoids in var. americanum and cv. Sacred, and also in all other species investigated for subgenus Ocimum , were flavonol 3- O -glucosides and 3- O -rutinosides. Many species in subgenus Ocimum also produced the more unusual compound, quercetin 3- O -(6″- O -malonyl)glucoside, and small amounts of flavone O -glycosides. The level of flavonol glycosides produced was reduced significantly in glasshouse-grown plants, but levels of flavone glycosides were unaffected. A single species investigated from subgenus Nautochilus , O. lamiifolium , had a different flavonoid glycoside profile, although the major compound was also a flavonol O -glycoside. This was identified as quercetin 3- O -xylosyl(1‴→2″)galactoside, using NMR spectroscopy. The species investigated from subgenus Gymnocimum , O . tenuiflorum (= O. sanctum ), was characterised by the accumulation of flavone O -glycosides. These were isolated, and identified as the 7- O -glucuronides of luteolin and apigenin. Luteolin 5- O -glucoside was found in all nine species of Ocimum studied, and is considered to be a key character for the genus.

Aerial parts of Centaurea affinis Friv. were collected at Vlasina (east Serbia) in September 1998.

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Stachyoideae; fatty acids; chemotaxonomy. Abstract--Fatty acid composition of nutlet lipids in 28 species from the Stachyoideae, subfamily of the Lamiaceae, have been surveyed. In all species, octadecadienoic acid (18:2) was dominant. Octadecatrienoic acid (18:3) was a minor constituent in most species, except Physostegia virginiana and Lamium spp. The 18:3/18:2 ratio in Physostegia and Lamium ranged from 0.62 to 1.05. This ratio in all other species was signifi- cantly smaller (-0.25). Taxonomic value and phylogenetic implications of results are discussed.

Subject and Source Micromeria albanica (Gris. ex K. Maly) ~ilic, M. thymifolia (Scop.) Fritsch., M. dalrnadca Bentham, M. juliana (L.) Bentham ex Gris.,/14. cristata (Hampe) Gris., M. parviflora Reichenb., M. graeca (L.) Bentham, M. pseudocroatica ~ilic and M. croatica (Pers.) Schott. were collected in Yugoslavia. Vouchers are deposited in the Herbarium of the Botanical Institute and Garden at Belgrade.