The erythrina alkaloid, 1,3,4,6-tetrahydro-3,15,1 6-trimethoxyerythrinan-2-ol (2-epi-erythrinitol), has been synthesized by a sequence featuring a [1+4] vinyl isocyanate-isocyanide cycloaddition followed by an intramolecular Heck reaction for assembly of the erythrinan ring system. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.