Abstract. If D is a division algebra with center a number field K and with an involution of the second kind, it is unknown if the group D)] is trivial. We show that, by contrast, if K is a function field in one variable over a number field, and if D is an algebra with center K and with an involution of the second kind, the group SU (1, D)/[U (1, D), U (1, D)] can be infinite in general. We give an infinite class of examples.