Abstract
Striking differences are observed when the sugar components of digitaloid lactones ( as well as of two additional minor groups of substances) are compared with those of the other glycosides in higher plants: non‐digitaloid glycosides almost always contain one or more of the following eight sugars as a structural unit: D‐glucose, D‐glucuronic acid, D‐xylose, L‐arabinose, D‐galactose, D‐galacturonic acid, L‐fucose, and L‐rhamnose. Oligosaccharide moieties almost always contain hexoses “on the inside”. i.e. linked directly onto the aglycone, and pentoses and methyl pentoses “on the outside”. Oligosaccharide moieties containing more than two sugars often appears to be branched. Cardioactive glycosides ( and two related minor groups of substances) chiefly contain only two sugars of the eight listed, viz. D‐glucose and L‐rhamnose. Very often numerous other sugars are found, particularly hexamethyloses. Oligosaccharide moieties always contain the hexose (D‐glucose) “on the outside”. As far as is known, oligosaccharide moieties with more than two sugars are always built up linearly.