Muscaflavin 1 has recently been isolated from yellow and red carpophores of Hygrocybe species [1]. The compound is considered to be derived biogenetically from 3,4_dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) by metapyrocatechase [2] cleavage of the aromatic ring, followed by cyclization. Support for the correctness of this hypothesis is provided by the isolation of considerable quantities of L-DOPA from two Hygrocybe species. The yellow to scarlet carpophores of Hygrocybe conica (Stop. ex Fr.) Kummer were found to contain 3.2% of dry wt of L-DOPA together with minor amounts of muscaflavin. Hygrocybe ovina (Bull. ex Fr.) Kiihn., a toadstool of greyish appearance, contains only L-DOPA. It is responsible for the remarkable colour changes to black and red, when the toadstools are bruised. L-DOPA appears to be rare in Basidiomycetes [3,4] and it has only been reported in the carpophores of Strobilomycesjoccopus [S].