Chemosystematic studies in the genus Abies. II. Leaf oil analysis of grand fir

Abstract

The volatile leaf oil of the grand fir consists mainly of (−)-α-pinene, (−)-camphene, (−)-β-pinene, (−)-β-phellandrene, (−)-bornyl acetate, cadinene and muurolene isomers, and two cubebol isomers. Santene, tricyclene, myrcene, car-3-ene, limonene, terpinolene, p-cymene, camphenolene aldehyde, camphor, borneol, terpinen-4-ol, α-terpineol, citronellyl and geranyl acetate, α-cubebene, α-copaene, calamenene, and two farnesol isomers were also isolated. Attempts to identify these terpenes with a combined gas chromatograph – mass spectrometer failed to give unequivocal data and identities had to be confirmed by isolation and recording of other spectra. Except for β-pinene and β-phellandrene, within-tree and tree-to-tree variation of terpene percentages was relatively small. The leaf oil terpene composition appears to be well suited to determine geographical variation. Only minor differences were recorded between some northern coastal and interior populations, but samples from south-central Oregon showed major differences that are indicative of introgression with white fir.