aspidosperma

plural aspidospermas

1. countableuncountableA tree in the genus Aspidosperma.

   Aspidospermas have good bending qualities.

   1946, Notes on Forty-two Secondary Hardwood Timbers of British Honduras, page 69

2. countableuncountableA group of indole alkaloids that are found in these trees, noted for a tetracyclic framework and modifications in the carbon skeleton that arise during their biosynthesis via the mevalonate pathway.

   The Aspidosperma alkaloids are the largest group of indole alkaloids.

   1990, Song Liu, Syntheses of Aspidosperma Alkaloids, page 2

   3 more examples

   CA - 08869-04 Heterolytic fragmentation as applied to the synthesis of aspidosperma alkaloids

   1970, National Institutes of Health (U.S.). Division of Research Grants, Research Grants Index - Part 1, page 30

   The structurally more complex aspidosperma, strychnos, and iboga alkaloids may each be derived from the corynanthe alkaloids.

   2006, John Romeo, Integrative Plant Biochemistry, page 12

   Fortunately, however, this profusion of skeleta can be grouped into so-called borynanthe, aspidosperma, and iboga types (Geissman & Crout 1969), according to the disposition of C-atoms in the mevalonate moiety, which may have preserved the original arrangement (corynanthe) or suffered two kinds of rearrangement (aspidosperma, iboga).

   2012, K. Kubitzki, Flowering Plants, page 68