The position of the phenolic hydroxyl group in pseudolycorine (I; R = H, R′ = Me) has been located by degradation of its ethyl ether, and by synthesis of the resulting phenanthridone (III; R = Et, R′ = Me). Two new phenolic alkaloids, norpluviine and demethylhomolycorine have been isolated from Lycoris radiata, and shown to have structures (IV; R = Me, R′ = H) and (V; R = Me, R′ = H), respectively.