Oleanane

Oleanane is a natural triterpene. It forms the central core for a wide variety of chemical compounds found in flowering plants which are referred to collectively as oleanane triterpenes.

Some oleanane triterpenes have a suppressing effect on insect pests. They are considered a key marker differentiating flowering plants from other life, and have been used in the effort to study their evolution, which is as yet poorly documented in the fossil record.