Steady-state and time-resolved femtosecond stimulated Raman scattering spectroscopic methods were applied to elucidate the photodynamics and the oxazine ring opening contingency in phenylsubstituted indolobenzoxazine systems. Using wavelength- and pulse duration-tunable multi-pulse techniques, we have measured the (static) stimulated Raman spectra of the chemically ring-opened indolobenzoxazines, and the (dynamic) femto-to-nanosecond time- and wavenumber-resolved spectra of their photo-generated species. The two experimental realizations show a notable vibronic disparity, thereby indicating the structural difference between the chemically bond-cleaved and the UV excitation produced species. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.