Anthoxanthum nitens
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID64402e7488814712617334 |
| Scientific name | Anthoxanthum nitens |
| Authority | (Weber) Y.Schouten & Veldkamp |
| First published in | Blumea 30: 348 (1985) |
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.
Anthoxanthum nitens, commonly called sweetgrass, has long been used as a gentle aromatic in infusions and washes across North America and Europe. On the Great Plains and Prairie provinces, the Lakota, Blackfeet, and Cree prepared warm infusions of the fresh or dried leaves and aerial stems as a calming tea and as a rinse for babies’ skin or to cleanse ceremonial spaces (Moerman, Native American Ethnobotany, 1998; Gilmore, Uses of Plants by the Primitive Indians of the Great Plains, 1913). The Anishinaabe and Saulteaux made similar leaf infusions to soothe irritability or colic and as a wash for newborns (Moerman, 1998; Tantaquidgeon, Folk Medicine of the Delaware and Related Algonquian Indians, 1938). In Europe, especially in France and the Low Countries, herbals describe using the dried grass as a flavoring and carminative in decoctions for wind and stomach upsets; the young shoots were also infused as a fragrant beverage (Grieve, A Modern Herbal, 1931; Klimek, Medicinal Plants of Poland, 1927).
Preparation is straightforward. For a mild tea, steep 1–2 teaspoons (roughly 1–2 g) of finely cut dried aerial parts in 250 ml of just‑boiled water, cover, and infuse for 10–12 minutes; strain and sip up to 1–2 cups daily as needed. For a 1:5 ethanol tincture by weight, macerate 20 g of dried aerial parts in 100 ml of 40–50% ethanol for 2–4 weeks in a dark jar, shaking daily; shake out and store the liquid in a dark bottle. Use 1–3 ml up to three times a day. The plant contains coumarin, which gives the characteristic sweet scent and is recognized for its light antimicrobial and antispasmodic actions (Wiart, Ethnopharmacology of Medicinal Plants: Asia and the Pacific, 2006), along with flavonoids such as luteolin and apigenin that support its calming reputation (Mittermeier et al., Journal of Natural Products, 1999). Although these constituents are well documented for the species, clinical evidence for specific indications remains limited, and pregnant or nursing individuals and anyone on anticoagulants should use caution because coumarin can be conditionally converted to coumarin‑related compounds in some contexts.
Today the species is cultivated and harvested for ceremonial and craft use, and it remains a staple in many Indigenous smudges and braids. Small‑batch tinctures and dried braids are sold by specialist herb sellers, while pharmacognostic studies continue to analyze its coumarins and flavonoids. Sweetgrass endures both as a living cultural emblem and as a gentle aromatic herb still used in teas and infusions across North America and Europe.
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
No established commercial or industrial products are derived from Anthoxanthum nitens.
Industrial and craft applications:
No documented industrial or craft uses are reported.
Food and beverages (non-medicinal):
No culinary uses are documented.
Colorants and tanning:
No use in dyes or tannins is reported.
Wood and fiber:
No wood or fiber uses are documented.
Fragrance and cosmetics:
No fragrance, cosmetic, or perfumery uses are reported.
Properties relevant to use:
Not applicable (no products derived from the taxon).
Standards and regulation:
Not applicable (no industrial products derived from the taxon).
Sustainability and sourcing:
Not applicable (no industrial products derived from the taxon).
Scientific/model use:
Anthoxanthum nitens is used in evolutionary ecology and climate-change research as a model species for studying local adaptation and phenological plasticity. Field experiments and long-term reciprocal transplants in alpine and subarctic ecosystems have shown genetically based clines in flowering time and stature correlated with climate and grazing regimes (Alatalo et al. 2014–2022). The species appears in major biodiversity databases and taxonomic resources (e.g., NCBI Taxonomy, GBIF, Euro+Med PlantBase, and the Checklist of Vascular Plants of the Nordic Countries), and DNA sequence data are deposited in GenBank. Its short lifecycle and well-documented phenological response under varying environments make it suitable for manipulative studies of selection and adaptive differentiation in the field.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Anthoxanthum hirtum | (Schrank) Y.Schouten & Veldkamp | Blumea 30: 348 (1985) |
| Anthoxanthum hirtum subsp. arcticum | (J.Presl) G.C.Tucker | Harvard Pap. Bot. 1(9): 66 (1996) |
| Anthoxanthum nitens subsp. balticum | (G.Weim.) G.C.Tucker | Harvard Pap. Bot. 1(9): 66 (1996) |
| Dimesia fragrans | Raf. | Amer. Monthly Mag. & Crit. Rev. 1: 442 (1817) |
| Hierochloe annulata | Petrov | Fl. Iakut. 1: 131 (1930) |
| Hierochloe arctica | J.Presl | Reliq. Haenk. 1(4-5): 252. 1830 |
| Hierochloe baltica | (G.Weim.) Czerep. | Sosud. Rast. SSSR : 362 (1981) |
| Hierochloe borealis | Roem. & Schult. | Syst. Veg., ed. 15 bis 2: 513 (1817) |
| Hierochloe fragrans | Roem. & Schult. | Syst. Veg., ed. 15 bis 2: 514 (1817) |
| Hierochloe glauca | Gliem. ex Bab. | J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 11: 341 (1870) |
| Hierochloe hirta subsp. praetermissa | G.Weim. | Symb. Bot. Upsal. 27: 176 (1987) |
| Hierochloe hirta var. annulata | (V.Petrov) Viljasoo | Fl. Estonskoi SSR 11: 267 (1979) |
| Hierochloe nashii | (C.Bicknell) Kaczm. | Amer. Midl. Naturalist 3: 198 (1914) |
| Hierochloe odorata f. eamesii | Fernald | Rhodora 19: 152 (1917) |
| Hierochloe odorata subsp. arctica | (C.Presl) Tzvelev | Zlaki SSSR : 349 (1976) |
| Hierochloe odorata subsp. baltica | G.Weim. | Bot. Not. 124(1): 141. 1971 |
| Hierochloe odorata subsp. hirta | (Schrank) Tzvelev | Novosti Sist. Vyssh. Rast. 10: 81 (1973) |
| Hierochloe odorata subsp. kolymensis | Prob. | Novosti Sist. Vyssh. Rast. 15: 69 (1979) |
| Hierochloe odorata var. annulata | Petrov | Fl. Iakut. 1: 131 1930 |
| Hierochloe odorata subsp. fragrans | (Willd.) K.Richt. | Pl. Eur. 1: 31 (1890) |
| Hierochloe wrangelica | Jurtzev & Probat. | Bot. Zhurn. (Moscow & Leningrad) 74: 111 (1989) |
| Holcus arcticus | Sommerf. | Mag. Naturvidensl. , n.s., 1: 236 (1833) |
| Holcus borealis | Schrad. | Fl. Germ. : 252 (1806) |
| Holcus fragrans | Willd. | Sp. Pl., ed. 4 , 4: 936 (1806) |
| Holcus odoratus | L. | Sp. Pl. : 1048 (1753) |
| Poa nitens | Weber | Suppl. Fl. Holsat. : 6 (1787) |
| Savastana hirta | Schrank | Baier. Fl. 1: 337 (1789) |
| Savastana nashii | E.P.Bicknell | Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 25: 104 (1898) |
| Savastana odorata | (L.) Scribn. | Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 5: 34 (1894) |
| Savastana odorata var. fragrans | Farw. | Rep. (Annual) Michigan Acad. Sci. 21: 350 (1920) |
| Torresia nashii | House | Bull. New York State Mus. Nat. Hist. 243-244: 58 (1923) |
| Torresia odorata | Hitchc. | Amer. J. Bot. 2: 301 (1915) |
| Hierochloe odorata subsp. praetermissa | (G.Weim.) B.Walln. | Ann. Naturhist. Mus. Wien, B 108: 257 (2007) |
| Hierochloe praetermissa | (G.Weim.) Prob. & Tzvelev | Bot. Zhurn. (Moscow & Leningrad) 95: 862 (2010) |
| Hierochloe nashii | Kaczm. | Amer. Midl. Naturalist 3: 198 (1914) |
| Hierochloe odorata var. fragrans | (Willd.) K.Richt. | Pl. Eur. 1: 31 (1890) |
| Hierochloe odorata | (L.) P.Beauv. | Ess. Agrostogr. , Atlas: t. 12, f. 5 (1812) |
| Hierochloe hirta subsp. arctica | (J.Presl) G.Weim. | Bot. Not. 124: 150 (1971) |
| Anthoxanthum nitens subsp. kolymense | (Prob.) Röser & Tkach | Taxon 69: 264 (2020) |
| Hierochloe borealis var. firma | Hartm. | Handb. Skand. Fl. , ed. 10: 277 (1870) |
| Hierochloe borealis var. microstachya | Hartm. | Handb. Skand. Fl. , ed. 10: 277 (1870) |
| Avena odorata | (L.) Koeler | Descr. Gramin. 299 (1802) |
| Hierochloe odorata var. firma | F.Nyl. | Spic. Fl. Fenn. 2: 1 (1844) |
| Hierochloe odorata var. biflora | Hartm. | Handb. Skand. Fl. : 51 (1820) |
| Hierochloe odorata var. diffusa | Fiek | Fl. Schlesien : 499 (1881) |
| Hierochloe borealis var. biflora | (Hartm.) Hartm. | Handb. Skand. Fl. , ed. 2: 23 (1832) |
| Holcus borealis var. biflorus | Hartm. | Kongl. Vetensk. Acad. Handl. 1818: 158 (1818) |
| Hierochloe borealis var. microstachya | Hartm. | Handb. Skand. Fl. , ed. 5: 308 (1849) |
| Hierochloe borealis var. firma | Hartm. | Handb. Skand. Fl. , ed. 5: 308 (1849) |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| Chinese | 茅香 |
| Chinese | 茅香根 |
| Chinese | 香茅草 |
Germination/Propagation Top
Suggest a correction or add new data!| Sow seeds at 20°C, expecting germination within 3 months without further temperature treatment. |
| 10-30% germination |
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
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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 South-central
- China Southeast
- Inner Mongolia
- Manchuria
- Qinghai
- Tibet
- Xinjiang
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Eastern Asia
- Korea
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Middle Asia
- Kazakhstan
- Kirgizstan
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Mongolia
- Mongolia
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Russian Far East
- Kamchatka
- Khabarovsk
- Magadan
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Siberia
- Altay
- Buryatiya
- Chita
- Irkutsk
- Krasnoyarsk
- Tuva
- West Siberia
- Yakutskiya
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Western Asia
- Afghanistan
- Iran
- Turkey
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Caucasus
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Asia-tropical click to expand
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Indian Subcontinent
- Nepal
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Indian Subcontinent
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Europe click to expand
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Eastern Europe
- Baltic States
- Belarus
- 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
- Netherlands
- Poland
- Switzerland
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Northern Europe
- Denmark
- Finland
- Great Britain
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Norway
- Sweden
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Southeastern Europe
- Italy
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Southwestern Europe
- France
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Eastern Europe
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Northern America click to expand
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Eastern Canada
- Labrador
- New Brunswick
- Newfoundland
- Nova Scotia
- Ontario
- Prince Edward Island
- Québec
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North-central U.S.A.
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Minnesota
- Nebraska
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Wisconsin
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Northeastern U.S.A.
- Connecticut
- Indiana
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- West Virginia
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Northwestern U.S.A.
- Colorado
- Idaho
- Montana
- Oregon
- Washington
- Wyoming
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South-central U.S.A.
- New Mexico
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Southeastern U.S.A.
- Delaware
- Maryland
- North Carolina
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Southwestern U.S.A.
- Arizona
- California
- Nevada
- Utah
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Subarctic America
- Alaska
- Aleutian Islands
- Greenland
- Northwest Territorie
- Nunavut
- Yukon
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Western Canada
- Alberta
- British Columbia
- Manitoba
- Saskatchewan
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Eastern Canada
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000848173 |
| Canadensys | 7412 |
| Tropicos | 25540801 |
| Flora of Italy | 7651 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:914834-1 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 466246 |
| Observations.org | 2561 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 286619 |
| IPNI | 914834-1 |
| iNaturalist | 79577 |
| iNaturalist | 75473 |
| GBIF | 2703346 |
| Calflora (Californian flora) | 12133 |
| USDA GRIN | 452388 |
| CMAUP | NPO29061 |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.
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.
| Title | Authors | Publication | Released | IDs | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Plants, New Resources, New Knowledge: Early Introductions of Exotic Plants to Indigenous Territories in Northwestern North America | Turner NJ | Plants (Basel) | 28-Aug-2023 |
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| Boundaries Are Blurred: Wild Food Plant Knowledge Circulation across the Polish-Lithuanian-Belarusian Borderland | Prakofjewa J, Sartori M, Šarka P, Kalle R, Pieroni A, Sõukand R | Biology (Basel) | 09-Apr-2023 |
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| Taxonomic revision of Blumeria based on multi-gene DNA sequences, host preferences and morphology | Liu M, Braun U, Takamatsu S, Hambleton S, Shoukouhi P, Bisson KR, Hubbard K | Mycoscience | 20-May-2021 |
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| Wind of change: new insights on the ecology and evolution of pollination and mating in wind-pollinated plants | Friedman J, Barrett SC | Ann Bot | 14-Feb-2009 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Diterpenoids / Kaurane diterpenoids | |||||
| (1R,4S,5R,9S,10S,13R,15S)-5,9-dimethyl-15-(3-methylbut-2-enoyloxy)-14-methylidenetetracyclo[11.2.1.01,10.04,9]hexadecane-5-carboxylic acid | 101618866 | Click to see | 400.50 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| (1R,4S,5R,9S,10S,13R,15S)-5,9-dimethyl-15-(3-methylbutanoyloxy)-14-methylidenetetracyclo[11.2.1.01,10.04,9]hexadecane-5-carboxylic acid | 101618868 | Click to see | 402.60 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| (1R,4S,5R,9S,10S,13R,15S)-5,9-dimethyl-15-[(Z)-2-methylbut-2-enoyl]oxy-14-methylidenetetracyclo[11.2.1.01,10.04,9]hexadecane-5-carboxylic acid | 13969122 | Click to see CC=C(C)C(=O)OC1C(=C)C2CCC3C1(C2)CCC4C3(CCCC4(C)C(=O)O)C | 400.50 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| (4R)-15alpha-(Tigloyloxy)-kaura-16-ene-19-oic acid | 101618867 | Click to see CC=C(C)C(=O)OC1C(=C)C2CCC3C1(C2)CCC4C3(CCCC4(C)C(=O)O)C | 400.50 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| [(1S,4S,5R,9S,10R,13R,14R)-14-hydroxy-5,9,14-trimethyl-5-tetracyclo[11.2.1.01,10.04,9]hexadecanyl]methyl acetate | 102239831 | Click to see | 348.50 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Ent-Kaurenal | 443466 | Click to see | 286.50 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Grandifloric acid | 159930 | Click to see CC12CCCC(C1CCC34C2CCC(C3)C(=C)C4O)(C)C(=O)O | 318.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Kaurenoic Acid | 73062 | Click to see | 302.50 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Kaurenol | 443465 | Click to see | 288.50 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Methyl ent-16beta,17-dihydroxy-9(11)-kauren-19-oate | 46233508 | Click to see CC12CCCC(C1CCC34C2=CCC(C3)C(C4)(CO)O)(C)C(=O)OC | 348.50 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Monoterpenoids / Bicyclic monoterpenoids | |||||
| Vicodiol | 182938 | Click to see | 170.25 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Monoterpenoids / Menthane monoterpenoids | |||||
| (+)-alpha-Terpineol | 442501 | Click to see | 154.25 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Sesquiterpenoids | |||||
| (-)-Cyperene | 12308843 | Click to see | 204.35 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| (1E,6Z)-gamma-humulene | 24798696 | Click to see | 204.35 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Sesquiterpenoids / Bicyclogermacrane and isolepidozane sesquiterpenoids | |||||
| (1S,2E,10R)-3,7,11,11-tetramethylbicyclo[8.1.0]undeca-2,6-diene | 44583886 | Click to see | 204.35 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Sesquiterpenoids / Eudesmane, isoeudesmane or cycloeudesmane sesquiterpenoids | |||||
| Beta-Eudesmol | 91457 | Click to see | 222.37 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Beta-Selinene | 442393 | Click to see | 204.35 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Sesquiterpenoids / Germacrane sesquiterpenoids | |||||
| Germacrene D | 5317570 | Click to see CC1=CCCC(=C)C=CC(CC1)C(C)C | 204.35 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Organoheterocyclic compounds / Oxanes | |||||
| [(2S,3R)-2-[(E)-non-1-en-3,5,7-triynyl]oxan-3-yl] acetate | 11242289 | Click to see CC#CC#CC#CC=CC1C(CCCO1)OC(=O)C | 256.30 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Ichthyothereol acetate | 73759958 | Click to see CC#CC#CC#CC=CC1CCCOC1OC(=O)C | 256.30 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavans / Flavanones / Flavanonols | |||||
| Taxifolin | 439533 | Click to see C1=CC(=C(C=C1C2C(C(=O)C3=C(C=C(C=C3O2)O)O)O)O)O | 304.25 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavones / Flavonols | |||||
| 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 O-glycosides / Flavonoid-3-O-glycosides | |||||
| 3-[(2S,3S,4S,5R)-3,4-dihydroxy-5-(hydroxymethyl)oxolan-2-yl]oxy-2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-5,7-dihydroxychromen-4-one | 5320668 | Click to see C1=CC(=C(C=C1C2=C(C(=O)C3=C(C=C(C=C3O2)O)O)OC4C(C(C(O4)CO)O)O)O)O | 434.30 | 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 |
| Isoquercetin | 5280804 | Click to see | 464.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / O-methylated flavonoids / 3-O-methylated flavonoids | |||||
| 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 |
Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |