The Z isomer (13-acetyl-1-(Z)-cinnamoyl-6-oxo-8-phenyl-1,5,9,13-tetraazacycloheptadecane; verballoscenine) of the 17-membered macrocyclic lactam alkaloid verbascenine was isolated from Verbascum phoeniceum and structurally characterized. The presence in the same plant material of the analogous N-13 non-acetyl alkaloids verbacine and verballocine as precursors in the biogenesis of verbascenine and verballoscenine is reported. Copyright (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.