erythro-2-(2,6-Di­methoxy-4-methyl­phenoxy)-1-(4-hydroxy-3,5-di­methoxy­phenyl)­propane-1,3-diol

In the title compound, C₂₀H₂₆O₈, the mol­ecules adopt a conformation in which the torsion angle C(aryl)—C—C—O(aryl­oxy) is −70.8 (2)° and the torsion angle C(aryl)—O—C—C(benzyl­ic) is −152.71 (18)°, leading to a C(aryl)...C(aryl) distance of 4.426 (3) Å. This distance is identical, within experimental error, to the calculated maximum value obtained when the torsion angle C(aryl)—O—C—C(benzyl­ic) is varied and the torsion angle C(aryl)—C—C—O(aryl­oxy) is kept constant. The angle between the aromatic ring planes is 64.13 (7)°. The conformation is compared with those of related lignin model compounds. The hydrogen-bonding pattern reveals intramolecular interactions, and the formation of centrosymmetric dimers and chains of mol­ecules by intermolecular interactions.