1. The leaves and epigeal part of Haplophyllum perforatum have yielded a new alkaloid perfamine - the first representative of the quinoline series in which the benzene ring is modified into a gem-disubstituted cyclohexadienone ring. 2. On the basis of spectral data, chemical transformations, and conversion into skimmianine, structure (I) has been established for perfamine. © 1977 Plenum Publishing Corporation.