“…* Amongst the simple flavonoids which collectively represent a relatively low percentage of the phenolic fraction, three flavan-3-ols, namely (+ )-catechin (l), (+)-gallocatechin (2), and (-)-robinetinidol (4), predominate, while the flavan-3,4diols (+ )-leucofisetinidin (5) and (+)-leucorobinetinidin (6) occur at low concentration^.^ The pair of phloroglucinol-type flavan-3-01s ( + )-catechin and (+)-gallocatechin, as strongly nucleophilic substrates, and the aforementioned flavan-3,4diols as potential electrophiles, represent likely participants in electrophilic substitution reactions as judged from biomimetictype condensation^.^^^ The remaining flavonoids, mainly analogues of fisetinidin (7) and robinetinidin (8), all possess a 4-carbonyl function which not only precludes condensation at this point, but also deactivates their respective resorcinol A-rings towards electrophilic attack. Such selectivity in condensation is reflected by the isolation 495 of four [4,8]linked biflavanoids, namely 2,3-trans-3,4-trans:-and 2,3trans-3,4-cis:2',3'-trans-( -)-fisetinidol-( +)-catahin ( 9) and (10) and 2,3-trans-3,4-trans :2',3'-truns-( -)-robinetinidol-( + )catechin (1 1) and 2,3-trans-3,4-trans :2',3'-trans-( -)-robinetinidol-( +)-gallocatechin (12).$…”