AbstractPhenolic acids and flavonols of nine leaf and three root samples of Boerhaavia diffusa L., collected at different locations and subjected to several drying procedures, were characterised by reversed‐phase HPLC‐PADESI/MS for the first time. Ten phenolic compounds were identified: 3,4‐dihydroxy‐5‐methoxycinnamoyl‐rhamnoside, quercetin 3‐O‐rhamnosyl(1→6)galactoside (quercetin 3‐O‐robinobioside), quercetin 3‐O‐(2″‐rhamnosyl)‐robinobioside, kaempferol 3‐O‐(2″‐rhamnosyl)‐robinobioside, 3,5,4′‐trihydroxy‐6,7‐dimethoxyflavone 3‐O‐galactosyl(1→2)glucoside [eupalitin 3‐O‐galactosyl(1→2)glucoside], caffeoyltartaric acid, kaempferol 3‐O‐robinobioside, eupalitin 3‐O‐galactoside, quercetin and kaempferol. Quantification was achieved by HPLC‐PAD and two phenolic patterns were found for the leaves, in which quercetin 3‐O‐robinobioside or quercetin 3‐O‐(2″‐rhamnosyl)‐robinobioside was the major compound. Caffeoyltartaric acid was only present in the root material where it represented the main phenolic constituent. The results obtained demonstrated that the geographical origin (particularly the nature of the soil), but not the drying process, influences the phenolic composition. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.