The β-L-xylo-furanosyl analogues of the naturallyoccurringnucleosides have been synthesized and their antiviral properties examined. All these compounds were hitherto unknown and they were stereospecifically prepared by glycosylation of pyrimidine and purine aglycons with a suitably peracyl-L-xylo-furanose (specially synthesized from L-xylose for our present purpose), followed by removal of the protecting