Thirteen steroidal saponins were isolated from the leaves of Beaucarnea recurvata Lem. Their structures were established using one- and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. Six of them were identified as: 26-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl (25S)-furosta-5,20(22)-diene 1 beta,3 beta,26-triol 1-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 -> 2) beta-D-fucopyranoside, 26-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl (25S)-furosta-5,20(22)-diene 1 beta,3 beta,26-triol 1-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 -> 2)-4-O-acetyl-beta-D-fucopyranoside, 26-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl (25R)-furosta-5,20(22)-diene-23-one-1 beta,3 beta,26-triol 1-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 -> 2) beta-D-fucopyranoside, 26-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl (25S)-furosta-5-ene-1 beta,3 beta,22 alpha,26-tetrol 1-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 -> 4)-6-O-acetyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside, 26-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl (25S)-furosta-5-ene-1 beta,3 beta,22 alpha,26-tetrol 1-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 -> 2) beta-D-fucopyranoside, and 24-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl (25R)-spirost-5-ene-1 beta,3 beta, 24-triol 1-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 -> 2)-4-O-acetyl-beta-D-fucopyranoside. The chemotaxonomic classification of B. recurvata in the family Ruscaceae was discussed. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.