Chemotaxonomic Investigation on the Family Dipterocarpaceae Using Flavonoid Analysis

Abstract

Flavonoids are basic configuration C^- C3- C& and ubiquitous occurrence. Flavonoids have been used to solve the problems at different taxonomic levels and the three classes of flavonoids frequently used for these studies are anthocyanidins, flavones and flavonols. Moreover, the flavonoids are also used to solve the problems of plant identification where flowering and fruit development does not occur frequently. Dipterocarpaceae is an important woody plant family mostly dominating the wet zone forests in Sri Lanka. There are two views put forward by Ashton (1980) and Kostermans (1992) regarding the classification of the family Dipterocarpaceae of Sri Lanka showing significant differences in generic, subgeneric and species boundaries. Flowering or fruiting of most of the Dipterocarpaceae members are very periodical and there is need for a method, which does not use reproductive parts to solve such problems. In this investigation leaves of 45 species with subspecies reported by Ashton (1980), Stemonoporus moonii reported by Kostermans (1992) and the only species of Dipterocarpaceae present in Nepal, Shorea robusta were used either in the form of fresh or dried leaves.