A study of the alkaloids from Hesperolaburnum platycarpum has shown the presence of several quinolizidine and bipiperidyl alkaloids, including the quinolizidine alkaloids α-isosparteine, sparteine, lupanine, 3β-hydroxylupaline, 7-hydroxylupanine and unknown 1 as major compounts. Three bipiperidyl alkaloids, ammodendrine and two isomers of adenocarpine, were present in small amounts. The co-occurrence of quinolizidine alkaloids and adenocarpine is a good chemotaxonomic character for the monotypic genus Hesperolaburnum and suggests a close affinity of this genus to Cytisophyllum. © 1992.