Distribution of new quaternary ammonium compounds, solorinine and peltigerine, in the peltigerales

A new amino acid solorinine [1] having a quaternary ammonium structure that we had previously isolated from the lichen Solorina crocea (L.) Ach., collected in Canada, was contained in ail specimens of S. crocea from Europe and North America as well as from Japan. Solorinine was detected in all species of Solorina and Peltigera, both members of the Peltigeraceae; however, it was not detected in species of the Nephromataceae. Another new amino acid, peltigerine [2], isolated from Peltigera praetextata (Florke) Vain., was detected only in species of Peltigera. The structure of peltigerine was determined by spectroscopic methods.