Turkish Rd bybrih has furnished the new 1-benzyltetmhyhfiarbolines (-)-roecarboline [l] and (+)-norroecarboline [2], together with the new simple bbolines roeharmine {3] and (-)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroroeharmine [4]. Although a large number of l-benzyltetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloids that are derived biogenetically from two tyrosine units are known, the corresponding 1 benzyltetrahydro-P-carbolines or l-benzyl-f3-carbolines are very rare. In fact, only one such alkaloid was known prior to the present study, namely the optically inactive ceciline found in Brazilian Anibu suntulodora (Lauraceae) ( 1). Such a species would be formed in vivo from one tyrosine- and one tryptamine-derived moieties.As part of an ongoing study of the alkaloids of Turkish Roemeria by&& (L.) DC. (Papaveraceae), we have obtained two optically active l-benzyltetrahydro-P-carbolines, (-)-roecarboline (11 and (+)-norroecarboline {21, together with two simple P-carbolines, roeharmine' as1 4 4.16~ J 6.7 due to facile cleavage of the C- 1 to C-a doubly benzylic bond. Rather, the base peak, mlz 245, was also the peak of high-137 and (-)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroroeharmine 141.