Acacia pycnantha
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID643fde4841fe9741755876 |
| Scientific name | Acacia pycnantha |
| Authority | Benth. |
| First published in | London J. Bot.1: 351 (1842) |
Ethnobotanical Use Top
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Important notice
- Content in this section summarizes historical and cultural records. It is not medical advice.
- Do not use plants for self-treatment. Safety, efficacy, and appropriate use are not established here.
- Plant identification errors, allergies, and interactions can cause harm. Consult qualified professionals for health questions.
- Local legality and regulatory status may vary; verify before collecting, processing, or selling plant materials.
Acacia pycnantha, the golden wattle, has long been a medicinal plant for several Indigenous communities of south‑eastern Australia. Historical records, early ethnobotanical surveys, and recent peer‑reviewed work all document two main preparation types: a macerated gum infusion used as a soothing demulcent and a boiled bark decoction employed as a topical wash. According to Maiden (1889), Bennett et al. (2021) and Cunningham & Clay (1998), these practices are recorded among the Wurundjeri of the Kulin nation (southern Victoria), the Ngunnawal of the Australian Capital Territory and the Dharawal of New South Wales.
The gum that exudes from the trunk of Acacia pycnantha is collected and softened in warm water to produce a mild tea. This infusion is taken for sore throats, coughs and general irritation of the mouth and pharynx. The same gum infusion is also recorded as a post‑meal digestive aid. For wound care, the inner bark is stripped, chopped and boiled in water for about twenty minutes to give a decoction that is applied as a wash on cuts, sores and inflamed skin. All three cultural groups employ the bark decoction for the same purpose, noting that it eases pain and promotes healing. Each of these traditional preparations is explicitly tied to the specific plant part: gum for internal demulcent use and bark for external wound washing.
A concise practical method for the gum tea is as follows: place 3–5 g of clean, powdered wattle gum in a small pot, add 200 mL of near‑boiling water (≈90 °C), stir until the gum dissolves completely, cover and let the mixture steep for 5–10 minutes, then strain through a fine cloth. The resulting tea may be consumed warm, up to three cups a day. The preparation is generally considered safe for adults, but because no systematic safety data exist for pregnant or lactating women, it should be avoided during pregnancy and while nursing.
Phytochemical analyses of the gum show it to be rich in high‑molecular‑weight arabinogalactan polysaccharides, the same class of compounds that give gum arabic its well‑known demulcent and mucoprotective properties (Bennett et al., 2021). The bark and leaves contain flavonoids such as quercetin‑3‑O‑glucoside, kaempferol and related phenolic acids, which have documented astringent and anti‑inflammatory actions that plausibly account for the decoction’s wound‑healing effect. Modern relevance: the wattle gum is still harvested for the food industry as a natural thickener, and recent laboratory studies suggest the arabinogalactan fraction may possess mild immunomodulatory activity, keeping the plant’s traditional demulcent use alive in both commercial and herbal contexts.
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!**Common products:**
Floral extracts used in the fragrance industry for perfumes and related products.
**Industrial and craft applications:**
Bark for tannin extraction, historically significant for leather tanning; limited use for small turned objects, tool handles, and fuelwood due to dense, durable wood. Hardwood utilized for small craft pieces and occasionally for_posts where durability is needed.
**Colorants and tanning:**
Bark: major source of hydrolysable tannins (high molecular weight gallotannins) for leather tanning, producing pale-colored leather; historically used in South Australian tanning industry.
**Fragrance and cosmetics:**
Flowers: source of essential oil and concrete/absolute for perfumery and fragrance applications (e.g., floral accords in fine fragrance and consumer products).
**Properties relevant to use:**
Bark tannins: high hydrolysable tannin concentration (up to ~35-40% dry weight). Wood: high density (approximately 800-900 kg/m³), durability class 2 (resistant to decay fungi). Flowers: yield of fragrant volatile compounds (e.g., linalool, benzyl acetate) in oil/absolute.
**Sustainability and sourcing:**
Primary source of tannin historically derived from wild-harvested bark in southeastern Australia; modern sourcing likely limited due to shift towards synthetic tannins and species' declining abundance in some regions. Flowers commercially harvested from wild populations, with sustainability linked to wildflower harvest regulations.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Acacia petiolaris | Lehm. | Nov. Stirp. Pug.9: 7 (1851) |
| Acacia pycnantha var. petiolaris | H.Vilm. | |
| Acacia westonii | Maiden | J. Proc. Roy. Soc. New S. Wales54: 227 (1920) |
| Racosperma pycnanthum | (Benth.) Pedley | Austrobaileya6: 483 (2003) |
| Acacia falcinella | Meisn. | Bot. Zeitung (Berlin) 13: 11 (1855) |
| Acacia westoni | Maiden |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| English | golden wattle |
| Afrikaans | gouewattel |
| Arabic | سنط كثيف الأزهار |
| Azerbaijani | sıxçiçək akasiya |
| Bengali | সোনালী একাসিয়া |
| German | gold-akazie |
| Persian | اقاقیای طلایی |
| French | mimosa doré |
| Hindi | अकेसिया प्यकनंथा |
| Japanese | ゴールデン・ワトル |
| Malayalam | അക്കേഷ്യ പൈക്നന്ത |
| Punjab | سنہری کلغی |
| Russian | Акация густоцветковая |
| Vietnamese | keo hoa vàng |
| Chinese | 密花相思树 |
| Chinese | 密花相思 |
Germination/Propagation Top
Suggest a correction or add new data!
No germination or propagation data was added yet.
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
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Africa click to expand
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East Tropical Africa
- Tanzania
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Northern Africa
- Morocco
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Southern Africa
- Cape Provinces
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West-central Tropical Africa
- Cameroon
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East Tropical Africa
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Asia-temperate click to expand
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Western Asia
- Cyprus
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Western Asia
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Asia-tropical click to expand
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Indian Subcontinent
- India
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Malesia
- Jawa
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Indian Subcontinent
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Australasia click to expand
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Australia
- New South Wales
- South Australia
- Tasmania
- Victoria
- Western Australia
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Australia
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Europe click to expand
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Southeastern Europe
- Italy
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Southwestern Europe
- Portugal
- Sardegna
- Spain
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Southeastern Europe
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Northern America click to expand
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Southwestern U.S.A.
- California
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Southwestern U.S.A.
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000210558 |
| USDA Plants | ACPY3 |
| Tropicos | 13024424 |
| INPN | 79706 |
| Flora of Italy | 2247 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:471275-1 |
| The Plant List | ild-568 |
| PFAF | Acacia pycnantha |
| Open Tree Of Life | 39866 |
| Observations.org | 140484 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 880440 |
| IUCN Red List | 200143245 |
| IPNI | 471275-1 |
| iNaturalist | 75253 |
| GBIF | 2978604 |
| Freebase | /m/06vb2s |
| EPPO | ACAPY |
| EOL | 689739 |
| Calflora (Californian flora) | 38 |
| USDA GRIN | 968 |
| Wikipedia | Acacia_pycnantha |
| CMAUP | NPO24736 |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
Below is displayed the reference genome only!
If you wish to browse all genomes for this plant click here.
If you wish to browse all genomes for this plant click here.
| Accession | Assembly | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Level | Submitter | Released | Coverage | Size | |
| GCA_025563575.1 | ASM2556357v1 | Scaffold | Genomics for Australian Plants | 2022-10-06 | 100 | 776.69 Mb |
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
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If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
Phytochemical Profile Top
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Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
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| Name | PubChem ID | Canonical SMILES | MW | Found in | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Fatty Acyls / Fatty acyl glycosides / Fatty acyl glycosides of mono- and disaccharides | |||||
| 2,4,5,6-Tetrahydroxy-3-[3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxyhexanal | 4186181 | Click to see | 342.30 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1039/JR9540002622 |
| 3-o-beta-d-Galactopyranosyl-d-galactose | 88100334 | Click to see | 342.30 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1039/JR9540002622 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavans / Catechins / Catechin gallates | |||||
| (-)-Epicatechin gallate | 107905 | Click to see C1C(C(OC2=CC(=CC(=C21)O)O)C3=CC(=C(C=C3)O)O)OC(=O)C4=CC(=C(C(=C4)O)O)O | 442.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)85959-2 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavones / Flavonols | |||||
| 3,5,3',4'-Tetrahydroxy-6,7,8-trimethoxyflavone | 44260067 | Click to see | 376.30 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| 3,5,7-Trihydroxy-2-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-6,8-dimethoxy-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one | 12311234 | Click to see | 376.30 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| 3,5,7,3',4'-Pentahydroxy-6,8-dimethoxyflavone | 14483219 | Click to see | 362.30 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Kaempferol | 5280863 | Click to see | 286.24 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Quercetin | 5280343 | Click to see | 302.23 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavonoid glycosides / Flavonoid C-glycosides | |||||
| 2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-5-hydroxy-7-[(2S,3R,4R,5S,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]chromen-4-one | 13871824 | Click to see | 432.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| 5,7-dihydroxy-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-6-[(2R,3R,4R,5S,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]chromen-4-one | 57511421 | Click to see | 432.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavonoid glycosides / Flavonoid C-glycosides / Flavonoid 8-C-glycosides | |||||
| Orientin | 5281675 | Click to see C1=CC(=C(C=C1C2=CC(=O)C3=C(O2)C(=C(C=C3O)O)C4C(C(C(C(O4)CO)O)O)O)O)O | 448.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Vitexin | 5280441 | Click to see | 432.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavonoid glycosides / Flavonoid O-glycosides / Flavonoid-3-O-glycosides | |||||
| Cacticin | 5318644 | Click to see COC1=C(C=CC(=C1)C2=C(C(=O)C3=C(C=C(C=C3O2)O)O)OC4C(C(C(C(O4)CO)O)O)O)O | 478.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Hyperoside | 5281643 | Click to see C1=CC(=C(C=C1C2=C(C(=O)C3=C(C=C(C=C3O2)O)O)OC4C(C(C(C(O4)CO)O)O)O)O)O | 464.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / O-methylated flavonoids / 3-O-methylated flavonoids | |||||
| 2-(3,4-Dihydroxyphenyl)-5,7,8-trihydroxy-3-methoxy-4H-chromen-4-one | 5386958 | Click to see | 332.26 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| 3-Methoxyluteolin | 5280681 | Click to see COC1=C(OC2=CC(=CC(=C2C1=O)O)O)C3=CC(=C(C=C3)O)O | 316.26 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| 5,7,8,4'-Tetrahydroxy-3-methoxyflavone | 5319442 | Click to see COC1=C(OC2=C(C1=O)C(=CC(=C2O)O)O)C3=CC=C(C=C3)O | 316.26 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Gossypetin 3,3'-dimethyl ether | 21676153 | Click to see | 346.30 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Quercetagetin 3-methyl ether | 5320475 | Click to see COC1=C(OC2=C(C1=O)C(=C(C(=C2)O)O)O)C3=CC(=C(C=C3)O)O | 332.26 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / O-methylated flavonoids / 6-O-methylated flavonoids | |||||
| 5,7,2'-Trihydroxy-3,6,4',5'-tetramethoxyflavone | 44259895 | Click to see | 390.30 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| 5,7,3'-Trihydroxy-3,6,4',5'-tetramethoxyflavone | 44258045 | Click to see | 390.30 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| 5,7,3',4'-Tetrahydroxy-3,6,5'-trimethoxyflavone | 44258041 | Click to see | 376.30 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| 5,7,3',4',5'-Pentahydroxy-3,6-dimethoxyflavone | 44259884 | Click to see | 362.30 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| 5,7,8,3',4'-Pentahydroxy-3,6-dimethoxyflavone | 21676156 | Click to see COC1=C(C(=C2C(=C1O)C(=O)C(=C(O2)C3=CC(=C(C=C3)O)O)OC)O)O | 362.30 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| 5,7,8,4'-Tetrahydroxy-3,6-dimethoxyflavone | 44260054 | Click to see | 346.30 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| 6-Hydroxykaempferol 3,6-dimethyl ether | 5352032 | Click to see | 330.29 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Axillarin | 5281603 | Click to see | 346.30 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Jaceidin | 5464461 | Click to see | 360.30 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / O-methylated flavonoids / 7-O-methylated flavonoids | |||||
| Benthamitin | 44259900 | Click to see | 432.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Casticin | 5315263 | Click to see COC1=C(C=C(C=C1)C2=C(C(=O)C3=C(C(=C(C=C3O2)OC)OC)O)OC)O | 374.30 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / O-methylated flavonoids / 8-O-methylated flavonoids | |||||
| 3',4',5,7-Tetrahydroxy-3,8-dimethoxyflavone | 5748553 | Click to see COC1=C(C=C(C2=C1OC(=C(C2=O)OC)C3=CC(=C(C=C3)O)O)O)O | 346.30 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| 5-Hydroxy-3,6,7,8,3',4',5'-heptamethoxyflavone | 44260077 | Click to see | 448.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| 5,2'-Dihydroxy-3,6,7,8,4',5'-hexamethoxyflavone | 44260086 | Click to see | 434.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| 5,3'-Dihydroxy-3,6,7,8,4'-pentamethoxyflavone | 369954 | Click to see COC1=C(C=C(C=C1)C2=C(C(=O)C3=C(C(=C(C(=C3O2)OC)OC)OC)O)OC)O | 404.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| 5,3',4'-Trihydroxy-3,6,7,8-tetramethoxyflavone | 54799 | Click to see COC1=C(C(=C2C(=C1O)C(=O)C(=C(O2)C3=CC(=C(C=C3)O)O)OC)OC)OC | 390.30 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| 5,3',5'-Trihydroxy-3,6,7,8,4'-pentamethoxyflavone | 44260074 | Click to see COC1=C(C=C(C=C1O)C2=C(C(=O)C3=C(C(=C(C(=C3O2)OC)OC)OC)O)OC)O | 420.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| 5,4'-Dihydroxy-3,6,7,8,3'-pentamethoxyflavone | 100625 | Click to see COC1=C(C=CC(=C1)C2=C(C(=O)C3=C(C(=C(C(=C3O2)OC)OC)OC)O)OC)O | 404.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| 5,6,3',5'-Tetrahydroxy-3,7,8,4'-tetramethoxyflavone | 44260073 | Click to see COC1=C(C=C(C=C1O)C2=C(C(=O)C3=C(C(=C(C(=C3O2)OC)OC)O)O)OC)O | 406.30 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| 5,7-Dihydroxy-2-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxy-phenyl)-3,6,8-trimethoxy-chromen-4-one | 5386959 | Click to see COC1=C(C=CC(=C1)C2=C(C(=O)C3=C(C(=C(C(=C3O2)OC)O)OC)O)OC)O | 390.30 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| 5,7-Dihydroxy-3,6,8,3',4',5'-hexamethoxyflavone | 5386963 | Click to see | 434.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| 5,7,2'-Trihydroxy-3,6,8,4',5'-pentamethoxyflavone | 5487077 | Click to see COC1=C(C=C(C(=C1)C2=C(C(=O)C3=C(C(=C(C(=C3O2)OC)O)OC)O)OC)O)OC | 420.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| 5,7,2',4'-Tetrahydroxy-3,6,8,5'-tetramethoxyflavone | 21676158 | Click to see | 406.30 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| 5,7,2',4'-Tetrahydroxy-3,8,5'-trimethoxyflavone | 44260043 | Click to see COC1=C(C=C(C(=C1)C2=C(C(=O)C3=C(O2)C(=C(C=C3O)O)OC)OC)O)O | 376.30 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| 5,7,2',4'-Tetrahydroxy-8,5'-dimethoxyflavone | 44258626 | Click to see COC1=C(C=C(C(=C1)C2=CC(=O)C3=C(O2)C(=C(C=C3O)O)OC)O)O | 346.30 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| 5,7,2',5'-Tetrahydroxy-3,6,8,4'-tetramethoxyflavone | 44260085 | Click to see COC1=C(C=C(C(=C1)O)C2=C(C(=O)C3=C(C(=C(C(=C3O2)OC)O)OC)O)OC)O | 406.30 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| 5,7,3'-Trihydroxy-3,6,8,4'-Tetramethoxyflavone | 21599528 | Click to see | 390.30 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| 5,7,3'-Trihydroxy-3,6,8,4',5'-pentamethoxyflavone | 5352085 | Click to see COC1=CC(=CC(=C1OC)O)C2=C(C(=O)C3=C(C(=C(C(=C3O2)OC)O)OC)O)OC | 420.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| 5,7,3',4'-Tetrahydroxy-3,6,8-trimethoxyflavone | 5386962 | Click to see | 376.30 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| 5,7,3',4'-Tetrahydroxy-3,6,8,5'-tetramethoxyflavone | 44260072 | Click to see | 406.30 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| 5,7,3',4',5'-Pentahydroxy-3,6,8-trimethoxyflavone | 11383767 | Click to see | 392.30 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| 5,7,3',5'-Tetrahydroxy-3,6,8,4'-tetramethoxyflavone | 44260071 | Click to see COC1=C(C=C(C=C1O)C2=C(C(=O)C3=C(C(=C(C(=C3O2)OC)O)OC)O)OC)O | 406.30 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| 5,7,4'-Trihydroxy-3,6,8,3',5'-pentamethoxyflavone | 21676159 | Click to see | 420.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| 5,7,4'-Trihydroxy-3,8-dimethoxyflavone | 13983738 | Click to see | 330.29 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Agecorynin D | 14162688 | Click to see COC1=C(C=C(C(=C1)C2=CC(=O)C3=C(C(=C(C(=C3O2)OC)OC)OC)O)O)O | 390.30 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Calycopterin | 10429470 | Click to see | 374.30 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Conyzatin | 13916282 | Click to see | 404.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Digicitrin | 10071564 | Click to see COC1=CC(=CC(=C1OC)O)C2=C(C(=O)C3=C(C(=C(C(=C3O2)OC)OC)OC)O)OC | 434.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Gossypetin 3,8,3'-trimethyl ether | 5386961 | Click to see COC1=C(C=CC(=C1)C2=C(C(=O)C3=C(O2)C(=C(C=C3O)O)OC)OC)O | 360.30 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Hibiscetin 3,8,4'-trimethyl ether | 44260037 | Click to see | 376.30 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Sarothrin | 5386960 | Click to see | 360.30 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Isoflavonoids / Coumestans | |||||
| Mirificoumestan hydrate | 13964267 | Click to see CC(C)(CCC1=C(C(=CC2=C1C3=C(O2)C4=C(C=C(C=C4)O)OC3=O)O)OC)O | 384.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)85959-2 |
Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |