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During the course of the investigation on the chemical constituents of the liverwort, Bazzania pompeana, a new sesquiterpene phenol, δ-cuparenol, was isolated as a minor component. The evidence for the proposed structure (I) is described.

In the course of investigation on chemical constituents of methanol extract from the liverwort, Bazzania pompeana (Lac.) Mitt., a secondary alcohol, nonacosan-10-ol, and a benzenoid sesquiterpene hydrocarbon, cuparene, were isolated in addition to two new sesquiterpenoids, bazzanene and bazzanenol, which have been reported 2.

A previous assignment of the structure of (+)-bazzanene is revised based on chemical correlation with (+)-trichodiene (II); the absolute configuration has been determined to be as shown in structure (I), a diastereoisomer of (+)-trichodiene.

A novel sesquiterpene ketone, (+)-bicyclohumulenone (3), has been isolated from Plagiochila acanthophylla subsp. japonica, and its structure and absolute configuration have been determined by X-ray analysis of the triol mono p-bromobenzoate (6).

12,16-Cyclogibborellins A9 and A12 have been isolated from the microbiological transformation of trachylobanic acid by Gibberella fujikuroi, mutant B1-41a, thus providing a notable example of the non-specificity of enzymes, catalysing the biosynthesis of fungal gibberellins; the 12,16-cyclogibberellin A9 retains gibberellin-like biological activity.

A novel carbon skeletal sesquiterpene aldehyde (+)-vitrenal displaying plant-growth-inhibitory properties has been isolated from the liverwort Lepidozia vitrea, and its structure and absolute configuration have been determined to be (1R,6R,7S,10R)-vitr-4-en-14-al (1) on the basis of chemical and spectral evidence as well as X-ray analysis.

Several aromatic sesquiterpenoids displaying antifungal properties have been isolated from the liverwort Herberta adunca together with a mother hydrocarbon with a novel irregular sesquiterpene skeleton, ent-herbertane, and their structures and absolute configurations have been determined on the basis of extensive degradation reactions and spectroscopic evidence. The biological activity is also described.

Nine acetyl hemiacetals, (+)-ovalifoliene (1), (+)-ovalifolienal (2), (+)-ovalifolienalone (3), deacetoxyovalifoliene (6), (+)-ovalimethoxy l (7), (+)-ovalimethoxy ll (8), (+)-plagiochiline A (9), (+)-plagiochiline B (10), and (+)-9α-acetoxyovalifoline (11), which possess the ent-2,3-secoalloaromadendrane skeleton and display plant-growth-inhibitory properties, and their bicyclic precursors, (–)-hanegokedial (4) and (+)-hanegoketrial (5), have been isolated from the methanol extract of Plagiochila semidecurrens together with the related enantiomeric sesquiterpenoids (12)–(15a). The structures and absolute configurations have been determined on the basis of chemical and spectroscopic evidence and are coincident with the result obtained by X-ray analysis of (+)-ovalifolienalone (3). The biological activity is also described.