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Three species of the hepatic genus Isotachis are reported from China. The occurrence of Isotachis japonica in China is confirmed; I. armata is reported as new to China; and I. chinensis Gao, Cao & Sun is described as new. The latter is characterized by bifid, sometimes trifid leaves, with nearly entire margins and leaf cells with distinctly thickened transverse walls. Descriptions, illustrations, and distributions of each species are presented.

Isotachin A and isotachin B, two new sulphur-containing acrylates, were isolated from the liverwort Isotachis japonica. Their structures were established to be benzyl trans-β-methylthioacrylate and β-phenylethyl trans-β-methylthioacrylate by chemical and spectral methods. This is the first report of sulphur-containing substances from bryophytes. Some previously known benzoates and cinnamates as well as 2-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl 1β-glucoside and stigmasteryl 3β-glucoside were also isolated.

Isotachin C and balantiolide, two new aromatic compounds, were isolated from the New Zealand liverwort Balantiopsis rosea. Their structures were established to be 2-methoxybenzyl trans-β-methylthioacrylate and 3-[3′,4′-dimethoxybenzyl]-7-hydroxy-5-methoxyphthalide, respectively, by spectral methods. The previously known isotachin A, isotachin B, benzoates, cinnamates and sesquiterpenoids were also found. B. rosea is chemically quite close to Isotachis japonica.

Two homologous series of n-paraffins and sec-alcohols from C20 to C34 or C35 were isolated a wax constituents of a liverwort, Isotachis japonica. In both series, odd-members were predominant compared with even-members: the ratio of the total amount of odd- to total amounts of even-members was 3·9 in the n-paraffin homologues, and 16·5 in the sec-alcohol homologues.

The oily portion of n-hexane and methanol extracts of the liverwort, Isotachis japonica Steph., was investigated, and three aromatic esters, benzyl benzoate, benzyl cinnamate and β-phenylethyl cinnamate, were identified as major components. It was established that terpene compounds, which were main constituents in essential oils of other liverworts, were not contained in this liverwort in noticeable proportion.