The crystalline dihydrate and hydrochloride trihydrate of a new betaine, namely, L . 2H(2)O (1) and [L(2)H]Cl . 3H(2)O (2) (L = p-Me(2)NC(5)H(4)N(+)CH(2)CO(2)), have been synthesized and characterized by X-ray crystallography. Molecule L in compound 1 [space group Pbcn, with a = 15.732(3), b = 7.894(2), c = 18.304(4) Angstrom, and Z = 8] possesses approximate C-s symmetry. The formation of hydrogen bonds by water molecules bridging neighboring carboxy oxygen atoms leads to an infinite two-dimensional network composed of a packing of two different kinds of 12-membered rings. In compound 2 [space group
with a = 7.341(2), b = 9.543(2), c = 17.010(4) Angstrom, alpha = 82.43(2)degrees, beta = 80.34(2)degrees, gamma = 74.05(2)degrees, and Z = 2], the carboxylate groups of a pair of betaine molecules are bridged by a proton to form a dimeric cation L(2)H(+) with a very strong asymmetric hydrogen bond of length 2.464(7) Angstrom. The crystal structure features a hydrogen-bonded corrugated ribbon comprising an alternate arrangement of edge-sharing centrosymmetric (H2O)(4)(Cl-)(2) and (H2O)(4) rings running parallel to the a axis.