Alkaloids of the Tasaceae are briefly surveyed. Compounds containing the taxane nucleus are reviewed, including discussions of their isolation, nonienclature, and 'H nmr, ms and X-ray anal?-ses.The Taxaceae are generally considered to include the five follon-ing genera : A metrtota.ws Pilger, dustrotasus Compton, Pseudotams Cheng, Taxus Linnaeus and Torreya Arn (1): apparently, alkaloids have been found only in species of Taxus. The constituents of the needles and other parts of the English yew (TO.YZLS baccata L.) have been studied for over a hundred years. and there has been a confusing proliferation of very similar names for the isolated components and their derivativeb, e.g.. taxicatin; taxicin I and 11; taxine; taxine A, B, C, I and 11; taxinine: taxinine A, B. E. H, J, I< and L: taxininol and anhpdrotaxininol; taxinol; txxiphyllin; taxiresinol and iso-taxiresinol; taxol; and taxusin. Alan- of these nanieq do not refer to alkaloid;, and a number of them are not derivativei: of taxane. The most recent review of the different constituents of T. baccata was published in 19'76 (2). In addition to T. baccata, the follon-ing specieq also contain alkaloids: T. baccala var. barroizi Barron (3), T. baccate var.fructu luteo Pilg. (3). T. bretifolia Sutt. (4), T. catlademis Killd. (j), T. chinensis (Pilg.) Rehd. (6), T. cuspidata Sieb. & Zucc. (T), T. cuspidata var. nana Rehd. (i), T. Jastigiafa Lindl. 6- Gord. (8), T. Joridatia Sutt (7) and T. speciosa Florin (9). Sot all of these species have had their alkaloids identified.After examining the taxane nucleus and surveying briefly the literature of taxine, this review xi11 diqcuss the available formulas, IH nmr, ms and X-ray data of various taxane derivatixw.