A tetracyclic ring-opened oxindole alkaloid, possessing an unprecedented ring system incorporating fused piperidine-tetrahydrofuran rings, has been isolated from the Malayan species, Leuconotis griffithii. The structure was established by analysis of the spectroscopic data and a possible biogenetic pathway from an Aspidosperma precursor is presented. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.