Alkaloid profiles were determined by capillary gas chromatography/mass spectrometry in seeds of 15 Ormosia species, of both South American and Asian origin, as well as in three Pericopsis species and Haplormosia monophylla. All samples contained alkaloids, and a total of 31 compounds were identified, comprising 23 lupine-type and seven Ormosia-type quinolizidine alkaloids, and the dipiperidine alkaloid, ammodendrine. Homopodopetaline, which has not previously been characterized as a natural product, was detected in extracts prepared from O. coutinhoi, O. macrophylla and O. semicastrata seeds. Ormosia-type quinolizidine alkaloids were restricted to the genus Ormosia, but were not observed in four members of this genus. The Pericopsis species accumulated predominantly α-pyridone quinolizidine bases, while two collections of H. monophylla contained mainly lupine-type quinolizidine alkaloids of the sparteine/lupanine class. © 1988.