The structure of a minor constituent of Spathelia sorbifolia L has been deduced to be N-methyl-4,7,8-trimethoxy-2-quinolone (2, R=Me) from spectral data and this has been confirmed by synthesis.Previous work on the constituents of Spathelia sorbifolia L. has yielded a seco-ring A-tetranortriterpenoid (limonoid), x several chromones, 2 and the known 2-quinolone, N-methylflindersine.3 The taxonomic significance of a 2-quinolone in this plant has been discussed) We now report the isolation of the new 2-quinolone, N-methyl-4,7,8-trimethoxy-2 quinolone from the benzene extracts of both the roots and the stems of this plane by chromatography on alumina followed by preparative TLC.The natural product, C~3H~sNO4, m.p. 143-148 °, had an IR spectrum characteristic ~.5 of a 2-quinolone. The UV spectrum had a max in the 263-298 nm region and had little change in its high wavelength spectrum in acid and no shift to short wavelength in cyclohexane as expected for a 2-quinolone. 4.6 The NMR spectrum with its two orthocoupled aromatic doublets and N-Me and two O-Me singiets was very similar to that 7 of casimiroin (1) s and the compound was concluded to be Nmethyl-4,7,8-trimethoxy-2-quinolone (2, R=Me). This has been proved by the following synthesis.