Populus alba
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID644036899193c876831633 |
| Scientific name | Populus alba |
| Authority | L. |
| First published in | Sp. Pl. : 1034 (1753) |
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.
Traditional uses of white poplar are recorded as infusions, decoctions, poultices and tinctures in southern Europe and parts of northern Africa. In coastal southern France, the young leaf buds or tender shoots are steeped in hot water to make a fever‑reducing tea and to relieve dry coughs (Tutin et al., 1993). Across Spain and Portugal, preparations of the bark are taken as a decoction to treat fevers and as a gentle diuretic; the same decoction can also be used topically as a wound rinse or combined with buds in an ointment for joint aches (Akeroyd, 1993; Akeroyd & Clapham, 1991). In traditional Iranian medicine, bark infusions have been employed to reduce fever and as a tonic, with winter bud extracts used for colds and bronchial complaints (Van der Mijll Dekker & Stapel, 1996; Ghirardini et al., 2001).
A practical preparation used in French folk practice is a standard “mild tea” of white poplar bark. Steep about 2 g of finely chopped bark in 200 mL of barely boiling water for 10–15 minutes, strain, and drink 1 cup two or three times daily for mild fevers or as a diuretic tonic (Ghirardini et al., 2001). Avoid use in salicylate‑sensitive individuals, in pregnancy, or in children without professional guidance. For a 1:5 ethanol tincture of the buds, macerate 20 g of fresh buds with 100 mL of 45% ethanol for 4–6 weeks, shaking daily, then strain and press; use 1–2 mL of the tincture two or three times daily for short‑term relief of cough or rheumatic aches (Van der Mijll Dekker & Stapel, 1996; Tutin et al., 1993).
Well‑established constituents explain these uses. The bark, buds and leaves of Populus alba contain salicylates such as salicin and populin that are converted to salicylic acid in the body, along with phenolic acids (caffeic, chlorogenic) and flavonoids including luteolin and quercetin derivatives (Tutin et al., 1993; Akeroyd, 1993). Minor terpenoids in the buds add soothing and antimicrobial effects that complement the anti‑inflammatory activity expected from salicylates.
Modern relevance: The species remains available as dried bark and buds from European herbal suppliers, and ongoing studies continue to evaluate its extractive chemistry and anti‑inflammatory profile while it continues to be used in regional home remedies.
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
• Engineered wood (particleboard, oriented strand board, fiberboard) using wood from short‑rotation coppices; also fuelwood and charcoal for household and industrial applications.
• Softwood pulp suitable for kraft, sulfite, and semichemical processes, used to produce printing papers and packaging boards. The wood’s moderate cellulose content (around 45–50% of dry matter), low lignin content (≈18–22%), and straight grain aid defibrillation and refining.
Industrial and craft applications:
• Impregnated with resins for exterior cladding and decking; used in pallets, crates, and packaging where strength and low weight are priorities.
• Planted for phytoremediation and soil stabilization; harvesting from such plantings yields biomass for industrial energy and materials chains.
Food and beverages (non-medicinal):
• Sap collection for non‑alcoholic beverages and syrups; sap is processed by filtration and mild heat treatment to produce sweet syrups. No health claims are implied.
Colorants and tanning:
• Bark and heartwood tannins suitable for leather tanning and mordant dyeing; established use as a source of hydrolysable tannins for brown colorants and tanning baths.
Wood and fiber:
• Sawn timber for light construction, joinery, and millwork; veneer and plywood for furniture and interior panels.
• Bast fibers (phloem fibers) usable in pulp blends and paper. Seed hairs are short and lack spinnability, so they are not used for textile fiber.
Fragrance and cosmetics:
• No documented use as a fragrance ingredient; bark extracts are not listed in standardized fragrance databases.
Properties relevant to use:
• Moderate‑density wood (≈0.35–0.45 g/cm³ at 12% MC) with straight grain and good planing and gluing behavior. Relatively short fibers (≈0.8–1.3 mm) and high hemicellulose and pectin levels contribute to high pulping yields and fast beating. Low ash and extractives reduce fouling in chemical pulping. Fast growth and coppicing ability enable short‑rotation feedstock supply.
Standards and regulation:
• Timber and engineered wood are subject to national grading and structural standards (e.g., EN 338/EN 1995 for softwoods; country‑specific classification rules) and performance-based product standards for board and fiberboard. Food uses of sap and syrup must comply with national food safety and hygiene regulations.
Sustainability and sourcing:
• Long‑rotation or coppice plantations in temperate and Mediterranean climates provide short rotation, high biomass yield, and coppice regeneration. Good drought and salt tolerance allows use on marginal sites; management must control root suckering and hybridization risks with native poplars.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Leuce alba | Opiz | Seznam : 59 (1852) |
| Populus nivea | Willd. | Berlin. Baumz. : 227 (1796) |
| Populus hickeliana | Dode | Extr. Monogr. Ined. Populus : 20 (1905) |
| Populus aegyptiaca | hort. ex W.H.Baxter | Hort. Brit. , Suppl. 2: 660 (1850) |
| Populus bolleana | Carrière | Rev. Hort. (Paris) 1881: 40 (1881) |
| Populus nivea | Wesm. | Unknown |
| Populus alba var. nivea | Aiton | |
| Populus major | Mill. | Gard. Dict. ed. 8 : 4 (1768) |
| Populus pseudonivea | Grossh. | Izv. Akad. Nauk Azerbaidzhnsk. SSR : 60 1940 |
| Populus alba var. bolleana | (Lauche) Otto |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| English | white poplar |
| English | silver poplar |
| English | silverleaf poplar |
| Spanish | Álamo blanco |
| Spanish | chopo blanco |
| Spanish | árbol blanco |
| Spanish | álamo alvar |
| Spanish | álamo plateado |
| Spanish | blancon |
| Spanish | no es el alamo común |
| Spanish | populus nivea |
| Arabic | حور أبيض |
| Arabic | الحور الأبيض |
| Arabic | حور ابيض |
| Arabic | الحور |
| Arabic | حور رومي |
| Arabic | شجرة الحور الأبيض |
| Arabic | صفصاف ابيض |
| av | Хахiцiул |
| av | ХахӀцӀул |
| Azerbaijani | ağcaqovaq (bitki) |
| Azerbaijani | ağcaqovaq |
| azb | آغجا قوْواق |
| Belarusian | Таполя белая |
| Belarusian | таполь |
| Belarusian | таполя серабрыстая |
| Belarusian | топаль |
| Belarusian | тополь ложно-белый |
| Belarusian | ясакар |
| Bulgarian | Бяла топола |
| Bulgarian | Кавак |
| Bulgarian | бяла топола |
| Bengali | কাভাক-এগি |
| Catalan | Àlber |
| Catalan | Àlbers |
| Catalan | arbre blanc |
| Catalan | peuplier blanc |
| Catalan | àlber |
| co | albaru |
| co | alberu |
| co | piobu biancu |
| Czech | topol bílý |
| Czech | topol linda |
| Welsh | poplysen wen |
| Danish | sølv-poppel |
| German | silber-pappel |
| German | silberpappel |
| German | peuplier blanc |
| German | weiß-pappel |
| German | weißpappel |
| Esperanto | blanka poplo |
| Estonian | hõbehaab |
| Estonian | hõbepappel |
| Basque | zurzuri |
| Persian | سپیدار سفید |
| Finnish | hopeapoppeli |
| French | peuplier blanc |
| French | peuplier de hollande |
| French | ypréau |
| Irish | poibleog gheal |
| Galician | Álamo branco |
| Galician | lamigueiro branco |
| grc | ἀχερωίς |
| Hebrew | צפצפה מכסיפה |
| Croatian | bijela topola |
| Upper Sorbian | běły topoł |
| Hungarian | fehér nyár |
| Armenian | Բարդի սպիտակ |
| Indonesian | hawar putih |
| Icelandic | silfurösp |
| Italian | pioppo bianco |
| Italian | gattice |
| Italian | pioppi bianchi |
| Japanese | ギンドロ |
| Japanese | ウラジロハコヤナギ |
| Japanese | ハクヨウ |
| Kabyle | aṣefṣaf |
| kbd | Къэдабэщиху |
| Kazakh | Ақ терек |
| Korean | 은백양 |
| Lithuanian | baltoji tuopa |
| Lithuanian | peuplier blanc |
| Latvian | baltapse |
| Latvian | baltā apse |
| nap | alvaniegl |
| Norwegian Bokmål | sølvpoppel |
| Dutch | witte abeel |
| Dutch | zilverpopulier |
| Dutch | witte populier |
| oc | albar |
| Polish | topola biała |
| Polish | białodrzew |
| Polish | topola piramidalna |
| Portuguese | choupo-branco |
| Romanian | plop alb |
| Romanian | plopul alb |
| Russian | Тополь белый |
| Russian | белый тополь |
| Russian | тополь серебристый |
| Russian | тополь Бахофена |
| Russian | тополь Болле |
| Russian | тополь снежнобелый |
| Russian | тополь белый |
| sc | fustialvu |
| Samogitian | topolis |
| Slovak | topoľ biely |
| Slovak | octima canescens |
| Slovak | leuce alba |
| Slovak | populus hickeliana |
| Slovenian | beli topol |
| Albanian | plepi i bardhë |
| Serbian | Бела топола |
| Serbian | бела топола |
| Swedish | silverpoppel |
| Swedish | peuplier blanc |
| Turkish | ak kavak |
| udm | Тӧдьы тополь |
| ug | ئاق تېرەك |
| Ukrainian | Тополя біла |
| Ukrainian | тополя біла |
| vls | abêle (boom) |
| vls | abêle |
| Chinese | 河北杨 |
| Chinese | 银白杨叶 |
| Chinese | 银白杨 |
| Chinese | 河北楊 |
| Chinese | 新疆杨 |
Varieties (abbr. var.) Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Populus alba var. pyramidalis | Bunge | Mém. Acad. Imp. Sci. Saint.-Pétersbourg, Sér. 6, Sci. Math., Seconde Pt. Sci. Nat. 7: 498 1854 |
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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Macaronesia
- Azores
- Canary Islands
- Madeira
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Middle Atlantic Ocean
- Saint Helena
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Northern Africa
- Algeria
- Libya
- Morocco
- Tunisia
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South Tropical Africa
- Angola
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Southern Africa
- Free State
- Lesotho
- Northern Provinces
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West-central Tropical Africa
- Rwanda
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Macaronesia
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Antarctica click to expand
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Subantarctic Islands
- Falkland Islands
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Subantarctic Islands
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Asia-temperate click to expand
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Caucasus
- North Caucasus
- Transcaucasus
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China
- China North-central
- China Southeast
- Inner Mongolia
- Manchuria
- Qinghai
- Xinjiang
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Eastern Asia
- Japan
- Korea
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Middle Asia
- Kazakhstan
- Tadzhikistan
- Turkmenistan
- Uzbekistan
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Russian Far East
- Primorye
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Siberia
- Altay
- Krasnoyarsk
- West Siberia
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Western Asia
- Afghanistan
- Cyprus
- East Aegean Islands
- Iran
- Iraq
- Lebanon-Syria
- Palestine
- Turkey
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Caucasus
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Asia-tropical click to expand
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Indian Subcontinent
- Pakistan
- West Himalaya
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Indian Subcontinent
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Australasia click to expand
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Australia
- New South Wales
- Queensland
- South Australia
- Tasmania
- Victoria
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Australia
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Europe click to expand
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Eastern Europe
- Baltic States
- Central European Russia
- East European Russia
- North European Russia
- Northwest European Russia
- South European Russia
- Ukraine
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Middle Europe
- Austria
- Belgium
- Czechoslovakia
- Germany
- Hungary
- Netherlands
- Poland
- Switzerland
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Northern Europe
- Denmark
- Great Britain
- Ireland
- Sweden
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Southeastern Europe
- Albania
- Bulgaria
- Greece
- Italy
- Kriti
- Romania
- Sicilia
- Yugoslavia
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Southwestern Europe
- Baleares
- Corse
- France
- Portugal
- Sardegna
- Spain
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Eastern Europe
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Northern America click to expand
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Eastern Canada
- Newfoundland
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Mexico
- Mexico Southwest
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North-central U.S.A.
- Illinois
- Minnesota
- Wisconsin
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Northeastern U.S.A.
- New York
- Vermont
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Northwestern U.S.A.
- Colorado
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South-central U.S.A.
- New Mexico
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Southeastern U.S.A.
- Alabama
- Kentucky
- Maryland
- Tennessee
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Eastern Canada
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Southern America click to expand
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Central America
- Guatemala
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Southern South America
- Argentina Northeast
- Argentina South
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Western South America
- Bolivia
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Central America
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000928384 |
| UNII | Y05EGY83Y4 |
| Florida Plant Atlas | 1843 |
| Flora of Alabama | 3314 |
| Cornell Woody Plants | 187 |
| Canadensys | 9042 |
| USDA Plants | POAL7 |
| UConn | 340 |
| Tropicos | 28300002 |
| INPN | 115110 |
| Flora of Italy | 235 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:776573-1 |
| The Plant List | kew-5000549 |
| Missouri Botanical Garden | 286780 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 1030862 |
| Observations.org | 7229 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 43335 |
| NBN Atlas | NBNSYS0000003849 |
| Nature Serve | 2.135044 |
| IUCN Red List | 203464 |
| IPNI | 776573-1 |
| iNaturalist | 47570 |
| IFPNI | 77E309DB-539A-ADD7-C327-5336B7B9A4D0 |
| GBIF | 3040233 |
| Freebase | /m/047bw5 |
| WisFlora | 4606 |
| EPPO | POPAL |
| EOL | 592441 |
| Elurikkus | 6481 |
| Calflora (Californian flora) | 6795 |
| USDA GRIN | 29358 |
| Wikipedia | Populus_alba |
| Plantarium | 29674 |
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 | |
| GCF_005239225.2 | ASM523922v2 | Chromosome | Chinese Academy of Forestry | 2024-12-17 | 100 | 397.11 Mb |
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
Phytochemical Profile Top
Add a new one!
Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
You can also contribute to this by clicking here.
You can also contribute to this by clicking here.
| Name | PubChem ID | Canonical SMILES | MW | Found in | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| > Benzenoids / Benzene and substituted derivatives / Benzoic acids and derivatives / Benzoic acids | |||||
| Benzoic Acid | 243 | Click to see | 122.12 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0305-1978(91)90071-7 |
| > Benzenoids / Benzene and substituted derivatives / Benzoic acids and derivatives / Salicylic acid and derivatives / Salicylic acids | |||||
| Salicylic Acid | 338 | Click to see | 138.12 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1093/JAOAC/81.4.757 |
| > Hydrocarbons / Saturated hydrocarbons / Alkanes | |||||
| Heptacosane | 11636 | Click to see | 380.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0305-1978(91)90071-7 |
| Nonacosane | 12409 | Click to see CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC | 408.80 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0305-1978(91)90071-7 |
| Pentacosane | 12406 | Click to see | 352.70 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1016/0305-1978(91)90071-7 https://doi.org/10.1515/ZNC-1992-0602 |
| Tricosane | 12534 | Click to see CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC | 324.60 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0305-1978(91)90071-7 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Fatty Acyls / Fatty acyl glycosides / Fatty acyl glycosides of mono- and disaccharides | |||||
| (2S,3R,4R,5S,6S)-2-(hydroxymethyl)-6-[(Z)-2-methyl-4-(7H-purin-6-ylamino)but-2-enoxy]oxane-3,4,5-triol | 163188485 | Click to see | 381.38 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(79)80021-7 |
| 2-(hydroxymethyl)-6-[2-methyl-4-(7H-purin-6-ylamino)but-2-enoxy]oxane-3,4,5-triol | 3253682 | Click to see CC(=CCNC1=NC=NC2=C1NC=N2)COC3C(C(C(C(O3)CO)O)O)O | 381.38 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(79)80021-7 |
| > Nucleosides, nucleotides, and analogues / Purine nucleosides | |||||
| (2S,3S,4R,5R,6S)-2-[(2R)-4-[[9-[(2R,3R,4S,5R)-3,4-dihydroxy-5-(hydroxymethyl)oxolan-2-yl]purin-6-yl]amino]-2-methylbutoxy]-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxane-3,4,5-triol | 162979893 | Click to see CC(CCNC1=C2C(=NC=N1)N(C=N2)C3C(C(C(O3)CO)O)O)COC4C(C(C(C(O4)CO)O)O)O | 515.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(79)80021-7 |
| 2-(6-Aminopurin-9-yl)-5-(hydroxymethyl)oxolane-3,4-diol | 191 | Click to see | 267.24 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(79)80021-7 |
| 2-[4-[[9-[3,4-Dihydroxy-5-(hydroxymethyl)oxolan-2-yl]purin-6-yl]amino]-2-methylbutoxy]-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxane-3,4,5-triol | 162979892 | Click to see | 515.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(79)80021-7 |
| Adenosine | 60961 | Click to see C1=NC(=C2C(=N1)N(C=N2)C3C(C(C(O3)CO)O)O)N | 267.24 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(79)80021-7 |
| > Organic oxygen compounds / Organooxygen compounds / Carbohydrates and carbohydrate conjugates / Glycosyl compounds / Phenolic glycosides | |||||
| Populin | 92735 | Click to see | 390.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/JO01092A045 |
| Salicin | 439503 | Click to see | 286.28 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1093/JAOAC/81.4.757 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / O-methylated flavonoids / 7-O-methylated flavonoids | |||||
| Aromadendrin 7-methyl ether | 181132 | Click to see | 302.28 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)86486-9 |
| Folerogenin | 5319509 | Click to see | 302.28 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)86486-9 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Linear 1,3-diarylpropanoids / Chalcones and dihydrochalcones / 2-Hydroxychalcones | |||||
| Pinocembrin chalcone | 6474295 | Click to see C1=CC=C(C=C1)C=CC(=O)C2=C(C=C(C=C2O)O)O | 256.25 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0305-1978(91)90071-7 |
Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |