A phytochemical investigation of the stem of Chasmanthera dependens Hochst led to the isolation and identification of five quaternary alkaloids: jatrorrhizine, columbamine, pseudocolumbamine, magnoflorine and palmatine and nine tertiary non-phenolic alkaloids: tetrahydropalmatine, liriodenine, lysicamine, oxoglaucine, glaucine, anonaine, nornuciferine, norglaucine and O,O-dimethylcorytuberine.