The dried twigs and stems of Sarcostemmaviminale (the climbing shrub form from South Rhodesia) contain about 1% phenolic and a similar amount of glycosidic compounds derived from 2-deoxysugars; only traces of cardenolides are present. After mild acidic hydrolysis 5 sugars could be detected and subsequently isolated in pure form. Three of them (d-cymarose, d-digitoxose and lilacinobiose) were obtained