Phytochemical Differences between Calia secundiflora (Leguminosae) Growing at Two Sites in Mexico

The ecology and quinolizidine alkaloid chemistry of Calia secundiflora (Ortega) Yakovlev growing at two sites in Mexico were compared. At one site (Hidalgo) the vegetation was dominated by Flourensia resinosa and C. secundiflora, at the other site (Queretaro) C. secundiflora and Dodanaea viscosa were dominant. The Hidalgo site had shallower soils with less organic matter, N, P, and CaCO3. Seeds of C. secundiflora from each site accumulated a similar range of quinolizidine alkaloids, but the profile of alkaloids in the leaves and roots were different. The leaves and roots of plants at Hidalgo accumulated a similar range of alkaloids to the seeds with cytisine and/or N-methylcytisine being most abundant, whereas at Queretaro the leaves and roots accumulated lupinine, with other alkaloids being relatively minor constituents. The latter profile has not been reported previously for C. secundiflora.