Two known xanthones, decussatin [1] and gentiacaulein [2], were isolated from the aerial parts of Swertia punicea by means of cc and preparative tlc. Three known compounds, decussatin [1], methyl swertianin [3], and 1-hydroxy-3,5,7,8-tetramethoxyxanthone [4], and a new compound, 1,8-dihydroxy-2,4,6-trimethoxyxanthone [5], were also isolated from the cultured tissue of the same plant. Their structure elucidations were carried out by spectral data and chemical transformation to known compounds. Compound 5 was converted into two new xanthones, 1-hydroxy-2,4,6,8-tetramethoxyxanthone [6] and 1,2,4,6,8-pentamethoxyxanthone [7]. Swertia punicea Hemsl. (Gentianaceae) grows in moist, mountainous areas in the central district of mainland China. Although it has been used in folk medicine as a bitter stomachic, the constituents of this plant have not been isolated. We were interested in the chemical constituents of the plant, especially xanthones, but a major difficulty is to collect sufficient material for study because the plant cultivation is not easy. To circumvent this problem, tissue culture investigation and its component analysis were carried out. In this report we describe the isolation and the structure elucidation of two known compounds, decussatin [1] and gentiacaulein [2], from the plant and those of three known compounds, decussatin [1], methyl swertianin [3], and 1-hydroxy-3,5,7,8-tetramethoxyxanthone [4], and the new compound 1,8-dihydroxy-2,4,6-trimethoxyxanthone [5] from the cultured tissue. The new compound 5 was methylated with CH₂N₂ to give a known compound 4 and two new methylated derivatives 6 and 7.