Velucryptine, isolated in small amount from the Neocaledonian Lauraceae Cryptocarya velutinosa, is a new isoquinoline alkaloid whose structure was established by spectral analysis as l-(4'-methoxybenzoyl)-6-methoxy-7-hydroxy-3,4-dihydroisoquinoline. Velucryptine [2] and its still unreported 6-hydroxy-7-methoxy isomer, named isovelucryptine [5], have been synthesized. © 1989, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.