produce alkaloids of the quinolizidine type, where alkaloids are rare or absent in
ferns, horsetails (except the alkaloid palustrine), and mosses [3–5, 59].
Among gymnosperms, cycads produce cycasin as an alkaloid, and the
Ephedraceae the simple alkaloid ephedrine (and derivatives). Among plants of the
orders Pinales and Cupressales, alkaloids are rarely produced in a few genera
(Table 2) [3–5, 59].
Cycadales
Ferns, horsetails
Ginkgoaceae
Pinales
Gnetales
Amborellales
Nympheales
Austrobaileyales
Chloranthales
Canellales
Piperales
Laurales
Magnoliales
Acorales
Alismatales
Liverworts
Mosses
Hornworts
Lycophytes
Cupressales
Petrosalviales
Dioscoreales
Pandanales
Asparagales
Arecales
Liliales
Poales
Commelinales
Zingiberales
MONOCOTS
Ceratophyllales
Ranunculales
Proteales
Trochodendrales
Buxales
Gunnerales
Dilleniales
Saxifragales
Vitales
Zygophyllales
Celastrales
Oxalidales
Malpighiales
Fabales
Rosales
Cucurbitales
Fagales
Geraniales
Myrtales
Crossosomatales
Picramniales
Sapindales
Huerteales
Malvales
Brassicales
Berberidopsidales
Santalales
Caryophyllales
Cornales
Ericales
Iacacinales
Metteniusales
Garryales
Solanales
Vahliales
Gentianales
Lamiales
Boraginales
Aquifoliales
Asterales
Escalloniales
Bruniales
Apiales
Paracryphiales
Dipsacales
MAGNOLIDS
ROSIDS
ASTERIDS
GYMNOSPERMS
TRACHEOPHYTES
SPERMATOPHYTES
ANGIOSPERMS
No alkaloids
Some taxa with
Alkaloids
Alkaloids present
Alkaloids abundant
Alkaloids dominant
ANA
Fig. 4 Distribution of alkaloids in the plant kingdom
8 Evolution of the Angiosperms and Co-evolution of Secondary Metabolites. . .
167