Ramie (Boehmeria nivea) is a flowering plant in the nettle family Urticaceae, native to eastern Asia. It is a herbaceous perennial growing to 1–2.5 m tall; the leaves are heart-shaped, 7–15 cm long and 6–12 cm broad, and white on the underside with dense small hairs—this gives it a silvery appearance; unlike nettles, the hairs do not sting. The true ramie or China Grass also called Chinese plant or white ramie is the Chinese cultivated plant.
To investigate the chemical constituents from roots of Boehmeria nivea.The constituents were isolated by repeated column chromatography and preparative liquid chromatography; and their structures were elucidated by chemical properties and spectroscopic analyses.Seven compounds were isolated and their structures were identified as tormentic acid (1), hederagenin (2), maslinic acid (3), 2alpha-hydroxyursolic acid (4), trans-p-hydroxycinamic acid (5), 2,4,4'-trihydroxychalcone (6), rutin (7).