Abstract

A chemotaxonomic study of 12 Chilean species of the genus Euphorbia L. (E. copiapina, E. helioscopia, E. hirta, E. lactiflua, E. lathyris, E. klotzschii, E. peplus, E. platyphyllos, E. portulacoides, E. pulcherrima, E. serpens and E. thinophila) based on their flavonoid profile is reported. Twenty two flavonoids (13 flavonols, 8 flavones and 1 flavanone) were isolated from these species using paper chromatography and thin layer Chromatographic techniques. The identification was done by UV spectroscopy. The phenetic relationships among species were studied using distance coefficients and the UPGMA clustering algorithm. This study showed a close relationship among the Chamaesyce species (E. hirta, E. klotzschii, E. serpens) forming a well defined group which is distantly related to the other species.