The chemical constituents of the root extracts and the evolutionarily neutral DNA base sequences were studied for 28 samples of Ligularia duciformis, L. kongkalingensis, and L. nelumbifolia collected in Sichuan and Yunnan Provinces of China. The samples could be classified into four chemotypes (1-4). Sesquiterpenoids having eremophilane and oplopane skeletons were isolated from two (Chemotype 1) and three (Chemotype 2) samples, respectively. Two new oplopane derivatives were isolated and their structures were determined. In 18 samples, phenylpropenoids were the major components (Chemotype 3). In five samples, neither phenylpropenoids nor sesquiterpenoids were found (Chemotype 4). Despite this large chemical variety, no correlation was found between the chemotype and the morphological criteria of species identification. The analysis of the evolutionarily neutral DNA regions also indicated that the samples were not separated into distinct clades and that introgression was extensive.

From the roots of Ligularia oligonema and an unidentified sample of Ligularia collected in Yunnan Province of China, two new sesquiterpenoids, 3β-acetoxy-6β-(2-methylbutyryloxy)furanoeremophilan-10β-ol and 3β-acetoxy-6β-isobutyryloxyfuranoeremophilan-10β-ol, were isolated. DNA sequencing showed that the unidentified sample was likely to be L. oligonema. In addition, the DNA data suggested that the chemical evolution among L. oligonema and related Ligularia species is rather complex.

Four Ligularia individuals possessing morphological characters of both L. nelumbifolia and L. subspicata were discovered in Shangrila County, Yunnan Province, China. DNA sequencing showed that the specimens were hybrids of the two species and their maternal parent was L. subspicata. The chemical composition of the root extract was examined for three of them as well as L. nelumbifolia and L. subspicata collected sympatrically. Nelumol was isolated from L. nelumbifolia, and furanoeremophilanes from L. subspicata. While nelumol and furanoeremophilanes were detected in two of the hybrid samples, only furanoeremophilanes were detected in the others.