Tropane alkaloids of species of anthocercis, cyphanthera and crenidium.

Eight tropane alkaloids, anabasine and ursolic acid have been isolated from the newly-described species CRENIDIUM SPINESCENS. ANTHOCERCIS ILICIFOLIA possesses a similar alkaloid spectrum to that of A. LITTOREA to which it is taxonomically closely related. In alkaloid composition, A. GENISTOIDES is a variable species and the sample analysed here contained meteloidine as principal alkaloid. The alkaloids of CYPHANTHERA ODGERSII and C. TASMANICA are consistent with those of other species of the genus. At present, ursolic acid does not appear to be a useful characteristic for the classification of solanaceous taxa belonging to Anthocercideae.