Menodora

 Oleaceae

©The World Botanical Associates Web Page
Prepared by Richard W. Spjut
May 2004; October 2006

Menodora longiflora
Brewster
Co., TX

Menodora spinescens
Nye Co., NV

Menodora spinescens
NW of Bishop, Inyo Co., CA

Menodora spinescens
NW of Bishop, Inyo Co., CA

Menodora spinescens
Inyo Co., Lees Valley,
Death Valley Natl. Park, CA
June 2007

Menodora spinescens
Dominant shrub, 
Nye Co., NV

 

Jensen S. R., H. Franzyk and E.  Wallander. 2002.  Chemotaxonomy of the Oleaceae: iridoids as taxonomic markers.  Phytochemistry 60(3): 213–231.  The distribution and biosynthesis of iridoid glucosides in the Oleaceae is reviewed and five distinct biosynthetic pathways to iridoids have been identified in the family, deoxyloganic acid apparently being a common intermediate. Likewise, the distributions of caffeoyl phenylethanoid glycosides (CPGs), i.e. verbascoside and its analogues, as well as cornoside are listed. Iridoid glucoside data exist for 17 genera of Oleaceae and the occurrence of iridoids from the different biosynthetic pathways correlate extremely well with the phylogenetic classification inferred from recent chloroplast DNA sequence data. Thus the tribe Fontanesieae (Fontanesia) contains "normal" secoiridoids, Forsythieae (Abeliophyllum, Forsythia) contains cornoside and/or iridoids from the forsythide pathway, Myxopyreae (Myxopyrum, Nyctanthes) have iridoids from the myxopyroside pathway, and finally, the two tribes Jasmineae and Oleeae (the remaining genera) both contain iridoids from the oleoside pathway. Within Jasmineae, one group of Jasminum sp. is characterized by the presence of jasminin or similar compounds, while another group of Jasminum species and Menodora display derivatives of 10-hydroxyoleoside, compounds not present in the other group. CPGs are reported from about half of the species investigated. With regard to taxonomy at the order level, the chemical data might support a position within or close to Lamiales due to the common presence of CPGs, the iridoids being of less significance since they are of a type that are barely found elsewhere.”