The leafy parts of 16 Asian species belonging to the three sections of Sedum were investigated for the presence of alkaloids. Only in seven species of Sedum sect. Sedum were alkaloids found. Sedum bulbiferum, S. japonicum, S. lepidopodium, S. morrisomensis, S. oryzifolium, S. polytrichoides and S. sarmentosum contain 14 pyrrolidine and piperidine alkaloids. Sedum oryzifolium differs significantly from the other species. It contains the typical S. acre alkaloids, sedamine, allosedamine and sedinone, as well as a series of monosubstituted piperidines and pyrrolidines. In addition, two new pyrrolidine alkaloids were detected in S. oryzifolium. i.e. both diastereoisomers of 1-phenyl-2-(2-N-methylpyrrolidyl)-ethanol for which the names pyrrolsedamine and pyrrolallosedamine are proposed (to express their structural relationship with sedamine and allosedamine). In five species of Sedum sect. Aizoon and four species of S. sect. Telephium, no alkaloids could be detected. The results support the hypothesis that in the family Crassulaceae, alkaloids are restricted to species of the 'Acre' lineage.