O‑Acylated Flavones in the Alpine Daisy Celmisia viscosa: Intraspecific Variation

Flavonoids acylated on their core phenolic groups are rare. The Aotearoa New Zealand endemic alpine daisy Celmisia viscosa is widespread, but its flavonoids have not previously been identified. Leaf extracts yielded a series of 8-O-acylated flavones with combinations of 3-methylbutanoate, 2-methylbutanoate, and 2-methylpropanoate groups and one, two, or three O-methyls, all previously unreported. Regiochemistries of 8-(3″-methylbutanoyl)-5-hydroxy-6,7,4′-trimethoxyflavone (5) and 8-(2″-methylbutanoyl)-5,7,4′-trihydroxy-6-methoxyflavone (10) were defined by X-ray crystallography. LC analyses of leaf extracts from the full geographic range of C. viscosa showed intraspecific variation of these flavones: most had high concentrations of trimethoxy 8-O-acylated flavones, but dimethoxy 8-O-acylated flavones were the most abundant flavonoids in two individuals. Three other viscid (sticky leaved) Celmisa species also contained these rare flavones, but four nonviscid Celmisa had none detectable.