Abstract
Summary The volatile leaf (needle) oils of Pinus strobus L., Pinus rigida Mill. , and Pinus virginiana Mill. were analysed by gas chromatography — mass spectrometry (GC-MS) with the aim of characterising their mono and sesquiterpene compositions, α- and β-pinene, myrcene, car-3-ene, limonene and terpinolene were the major monoterpene hydrocarbons identified in the oils with the occurrence of α-terpineol, bornyl acetate and α-terpinyl acetate in small but varying amounts. The sesquiterpene composition comprised of caryophyllene, humulene, β-bisabolene, γ-muurolene, δ-cadinene, α-bisabolol, α- and δ-cadinol. In P. strobus and P. virginiana , the sesquiterpenes were (quantitatively) the major terpenes (71.8%, 60.2%) while in P. rigida , the monoterpenes amounted to 54.9 %. The terpene composition of the volatile leaf oil of P. strobus differed considerably from that reported previously for the same species and the needle oils of P. rigida and P. virginiana are being analysed for the first time. The biogenetic and chemosystematic significance of these results are briefly discussed.
Published Version
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