LOW-MOLECULAR-WEIGHT SUBSTANCES FROM THE RESURRECTION PLANT SPOROBOLUS-STAPFIANUS

Sporobolus stapfianus Gandoger is a typical desiccation-tolerant or resurrection plant, which survives almost total dehydration. Samples of fresh, dried and rehydrated leaves were analysed for the main classes of organic substances, such as epicuticular waxes, sugars, alditols, inositol, fatty acids, sterols, phytol, abietanes and colnelenic acid. Sucrose was accumulated mainly in desiccated leaves, whereas trehalose decreased and raffinose hardly increased. Glucose, fructose and galactose were present in fresh leaves in larger amounts than in dried and rehydrated ones. 2-O-beta-D-Glucopyranosyl glycerol (lilioside B) was also detected. Rehydration of dried leaves for 24 hr did not restore the sugar composition of unstressed leaves.