The synthesis of nonastarphene-(2, 3, 3) 1 (IX) and decastarphene-(3.3. 3)(XI) is described. The UV and visible absorption spectra of the starphenes (threefold linearly annellated triphenylene benzologues) indicate that the aromatic conjugation involves only two branches of the system the third branch being isolated from the delocalization of the π- electron system of the other two.