Seventeen mostly new, skin irritant diterpene esters (DTE) of the daphnane and 1 alpha-alkyldaphnane types were isolated from roots of Synaptolepis kirkii and Synaptolepis retusa. The parent alcohols of the daphnane types are shown to be 5 beta-hydroxyresiniferonol-6 alpha,7 alpha-oxide [1] and 5