The phenol pinopalustrin was obtained from benzene extracts of exhumed stumps of Pinus palustris Miller. Pinopalustrin gives a dimorphous dimethyl ether, C18H14O3(OMe)4, (Me2SO4/NaOH), MS: m/e 402 (M+), which was soluble in hot alkali (lactone) and which on acetylation gave an acetate, C18H13O2(OMe)4OAc, melting point 102-103.degree. C. Ethylation, (Et2SO4/NaOH), gave a noncrystalline diethyl ether, C18H14O3(OMe)2(OEt)2. From these results and the mass spectrum of the dimethyl ether it became evident that pinopalustrin was a lignan and structure 1 (without stereochemistry) was proposed for it. The physical properties of pinopalustrin, of its derivatives and of the triol are closely related to those reported for the aglucone nortrachelogenin and the triol obtained from nortrachelogenin dimethyl ether. Quite recently Tandon and Rastogi (1976) isolated another lignan, wikstromol. The structure and configuration given are those of an enantiomer of pinopalustrin. The pertinent data for pinopalustrin, nortrachelogenin and wikstromol are given. It follows that the structure and absolute configuration of pinopalustrin are as in 1.