Psychotria rostrata, Bi. (Rubiaceae) is a tree shrub which is commonly found as an undergrowth of logged-over forests in Peninsular Malaysia. In the Malay society a decoction of the leaves was used for the treatment of constipation (1). Previous studies on Psyc/iotria species have shown the presence of polyindolinic alkaloids such as (—)-calycanthine, iso-calycanthine and ,neso-chimonanthine (2), hodgkinsine (3, 4), quadrigemines (5, 6), and psychotridines (4, 7). On testing P. rostrata for alkaloids (Meyers reagent), a strong positive result was obtained, and we therefore decided to further examine this species. The crude alkaloids of the bark and twigs of P. rostrata were obtained by exhaustive extraction using methanol followed by standard fractionation procedures. Purification of the alkaloids was achieved by means of column, thin layer, and high performance liquid chromatography. The major component was quadrigemine B (5, 6), and the minor bases isolated were hodgkinsine (3, 4), (—) calycanthine (8,9, 10, 11), (+)-chimonanthine (10, 11), and a third substance which was recognized to have the tnmeric pyrroloindoline structure recently assigned to calycosidine (12, 13). The four bases were characterized by their physicochemical data and by their liv, IR, 1n and 13C-NMR spectral data. In the case of (+)-chimonanthine, further support for its assignment was from its ready conversion to calycanthine on treatment with aqueous HC1. Previous work on the bioactivity of tetramenic pyrroloindoline alkaloids have shown them to be cytotoxic (6, 14). Preliminary results from assaying quadrigemine B against HEp-2 cells and human peripheral blood lymphocytes have suggested similar activity, and further work is in progress. Chimonanthine has been isolated previously from plants, but only as ineso- and (—) isomers. (+)-Chimonanthine has been obtained from the skin of the Columbian poisonous dart frog, Phyllobates terribillis (10), and this study is its first reported isolation from a plant species. The occurrence of polyindolinic alkaloids as reported in this study complement the earher chemotaxonomic findings on the genus Psychotria. Boenninghausenia alb4flora Hook. (Rutaceae) is a small perennial herb, widely distributed in the hilly regions and is vernacularly known as "Dampate" in Nepal. It possesses a very strong disagreeable smell and traditionally has been used to kill fleas and mites. It is also taken orally as a pain killer by woman to relieve stomachic pain after delivery. This plant is commonly used against fever and the paste made by grinding the aerial parts with water is applied to fIx factured bones. A number of coumarins and alkaloids have been reported from this plant (1—6). In this paper, we report the isolation of six known coumarins, three of which have not been previously reported from this plant. The structures of these coumarins were elucidated by spectrometric methods. It is the first report in which the absolute configuration of chalepm acetate (6) has been assigned by comparing the specific rotation with those of standard compounds having a similar chiral centre.