Hyoscyamus albus is a solanaceous plant forming tropane alkaloids. The roots as the site of biosynthesis show a rich alkaloid spectrum of at least 26 compounds, whereas the alkaloid composition of the aerial parts is less complex. Some of the alkaloids, i.e. 3-propionyloxytropane, 3-isobutyryloxytropane, 3β-tigloyloxynortropane and 6-hydroxy-3-phenyl-acetoxytropane are described as components of H. albus for the first time. Three hitherto unknown compounds were tentatively identified as N-methylpyrrolidinyl-cuscohygrine, occurring in two isomeric forms, and as 3α-(p-hydroxyphenyl)lactoyloxytropane (4′-hydroxylittorine). Compared with plant roots, hairy roots show a rather similar but not identical alkaloid pattern. The low proportion of scopolamine in hairy roots is especially remarkable. © 1994.