title: Constitutive polymorphic cyanogenesis in the Australian rainforest tree, Ryparosa kurrangii (Achariaceae).
abstract: Cyanogenesis, the liberation of volatile hydrogen cyanide from endogenous cyanide-containing compounds, is a proven plant defence mechanism and the particular cyanogens involved have taxonomic utility. The cyclopentenoncyanhydrin glycoside gynocardin was the only cyanogen isolated from foliar tissue of the rare Australian rainforest tree, Ryparosa kurrangii (Achariaceae). Mechanical damage simulating foliar herbivory did not induce a significant increase in the expression of cyanogenesis over a 24h period, indicating cyanogenic herbivore defence in R. kurrangii is constitutive. The cyanogenic potential of mature leaves was quantitatively polymorphic between trees in a natural population, ranging from 0.54 to 4.77 mg CN g(-1) dry wt leaf tissue.
authors.affiliation: School of Botany, The University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia. b.webber@bigfoot.com
authors.forename: Bruce L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Webber
authors.forename: Rebecca E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Ian E
authors.initials: IE
authors.lastname: Woodrow
mesh_terms: D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D006027:Glycosides / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D019684:Magnoliopsida / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D009570:Nitriles / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D019906:Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D011793:Queensland; D052616:Solid Phase Extraction; D014329:Tropical Climate
chemical_list: D006027:Glycosides; D009570:Nitriles