Elicited cells with methyl jasmonate continued to produce benzophenanthridine alkaloids throughout medium changes in suspension cultures of Eschscholtzia californica. Large increases in alkaloid production were observed by re-elitations with medium changes. The total alkaloid production increased during the successive elicitation steps reaching a maximum level on the 4th elicitation. The highest total alkaloid produced was 250 mg/I, which was 20fold higher than that of the single elicitation and 4-fold higher than that of the normal culture without elicitation. The large increases in alkaloid production in successive re-elicitations with medium changes are believed to be caused by the accumulation of the signal transduction compound, jasmonate.