304 
PACIFIC SCIENCE, Vol. XIII, July 1959 
TABLE 2 
Species Showing Positive Tests with the Six Reagents 
BINOMIAL 
FAMILY 
PLANT PART(s) tested 
Acacia Koa 
Leguminosae 
Branchler, Fruit 
Allamanda cathartica var. Hendersonii* 
Apocynaceae 
Fruit, Leaves, Root, Stem 
Alyxia oltvaefortnis 
Apocynaceae 
Branchlet, Fruit 
Canthium odoratum 
Rubiaceae 
Fruit, Leaves, Stem 
Ceodes umhellifera 
Nyctaginaceae 
Branchlet 
Charpentiera obovata 
Amaranthaceae 
Branchlet 
C. ovata 
Amaranthaceae 
Leaves, Stem 
Chenopodium oahuense 
Chenopodiaceae 
Flo’wers, Leaves, Stem 
Ckrmontia Kakeana 
Lobeliaceae 
Fruit, Leaves, Stem 
Cyanea angustifolia 
Lobeliaceae 
Branchlet, Fruit, Flowers 
Dioscorea hulbifera 
Dioscoreaceae 
Aerial bulblets 
Dubautia plantaginea 
Compositae 
Fruit, Leaves, Stem 
Ipomoea alba 
Convolvulaceae 
Fruit, Leaves, Stem 
Jacquemontia sandwicensis 
Convolvulaceae 
Branchlet, Flowers 
Morinda citri folia* 
Rubiaceae 
Leaves, Stem 
Myoporum sandwicense var. stellatum 
Myoporaceae 
Branchlet, Fruit, Flowers 
Myrsine Lessertiana 
Myrsinaceae 
Leaves, Stem 
Ochrosia sandwicensis 
Apocynaceae 
Bark, Root, Fruit 
Osmanthus sandwicensis 
Oieaceae 
Branchlet, Fruit 
Passi flora edulis* 
Passifloraceae 
Branchlet, Mature fruit 
Pelea Wawraeana var. tenui folia 
Rutaceae 
Leaves, Stem 
Piper methysticum * 
Piperaceae 
Leaves, Root, Stem 
Planchonella {Sideroxylon) sandwicensis 
Sapotaceae 
Flowers, Leaves, Stem, Root 
Rauvolfla Degeneri 
Apocynaceae 
Bark 
R. m aniens is 
Apocynaceae 
Bark 
R. sandwicensis 
Apocynaceae 
Bark 
Scaevola Gaudichaudiana 
Goodeniaceae 
Flowers, Leaves, Stem 
Straussia kaduana 
Rubiaceae 
Fruit, Leaves, Root, Stem 
Tacca Leontopetaloides* 
Taccaceae 
Tuber 
Touchardia latifolia 
Urticaceae 
Branchlet, Fruit 
An asterisk ( * ) after the name denotes an introduced species. 
molybdate was added. The resulting yellow 
precipitate was filtered, washed with water, 
acidified with cone, nitric acid, and dissolved 
in a hot 2 N solution of sodium carbonate. 
The solution was evaporated to dryness and 
ignited at dull red heat until all the ammo- 
nium salts had volatilized. The residue was 
moistened with cone, nitric acid and again 
ignited. The product, sodium phosphomo- 
lybdate, was dissolved in ten times its weight 
of a mixture of one volume of cone, nitric 
acid and nine volumes of water. 
TESTING PROCEDURE. Approximately 0.2 
ml. of the plant extract was treated with ca. 
0.1 ml. of the reagent on a watch glass. The 
precipitates (if any) usually formed immedi- 
ately and the results were evaluated after ten 
minutes’ standing. The precipitates were 
graded visually and estimated as trace, light, 
or heavy. 
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 
Table 1 lists the results of the alkaloid tests 
which were carried out on 96 plant species, 
representing 77 genera and 49 families. 
None of the test reagents was specific for 
alkaloids when used alone. However, when a 
species gave positive reactions with all six 
reagents, the presence of alkaloids was 
strongly suggested. Conversely, those plants 
giving consistently negative tests almost cer- 
tainly did not contain alkaloids. 
Included in the above table are species of 
nine genera which have never been tested for 
