An acidic compound isolated from seed of the legume Peltophorum africanurn has been characterised on the basis of FAB-MS, EIMS, 13C and 1H NMR as trans4hydroxypipecolic acid4sulphate. This is the first naturally occurring sulphate ester of a non-protein amino acid to be described. The possible systematic significance of the distribution of the ester within Peltophorum and related genera is considered.