Hodgkins and his co-workers have isolated this alkaloid from Coryphantha
macromeris (Engelm.) Lem. Britton and Rose (Syn. Thelocactus macromeris
(Engelm.) L. Benson and it has subsequently been discovered in C. runyonii. It is
a laevorotatory base with [α]25D - 42.61° (c 2.0, EtOH) or - 147.01° (c 3.9,
CHC13). The synthetic (±)-form has a higher m.p. l46-7°C and yields a crystalline picrate, m.p. 147°C. Spectroscopic and chemical data are in accord with the
structure (-)- -(3 :4-dimethoxyphenyl)- -(dimethylamino)ethanol.
Hodgkins, Brown, Massingill., Tetrahedron Lett., 1321 (1967)
Below et al., J. Pharm. Sci., 57,515 (1968)
