Search

Essential oils of Moroccan Juniperus thurifera var. africana from three provenances (Forêt Islane, Ait Lkak and Plateau of Matat) in the Tensift-Al Haouz, Marrakech region, were analyzed by combined capillary gas chromatography / mass spectrometry. The oil yields from fresh leaves showed on differences among geographical sources. Air dried leaves appeared to yield more oil at the highest elevation (1.03%, Ait Lkak, 2900 m) than lower sites (0.67%, Plateau of Matat, 2200 m; 0.57%, Forêt Islane, 2000 m). The essential oils from each geographic site had very similar composition in fresh versus air dried leaves. The essential oils from provenance Ait Lkak and Plateau of Matat were very similar and characterized by a high sabinene content (21.2, 35.9%), in contrast to 10.% sabinene from the provenance Forêt Islane. The oil from Foret Islane had a high d-cadinene content with 12.7%, whereas Aik Akak and Plateau of Matat contained only 0.6 and 0.8%. The Moroccan oils (J. thurifera var. africana) were compared to European J. thurifera var. thurifera (Spain) oil. Moroccan oils were found to be higher sabinene and limonene than the European oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farjon (1) considers the genus Calocedrus as containing just three species, C. decurrens (w. N. America), C. macrolepis (S.W. China, N. Vietnam, N. Thailand) and C. formosana (Taiwan). The leaf oils were analyzed and compared to the oil of the closely related species, Platycladus orientalis (E., N.E. China, Korea, far eastern Russia). The oils of C. macrolepis and C. formosana were very similar, being high in α-pinene (57.2% and 67.1%, respectively) and myrcene (11.2% and 6.2%), but they differed in several smaller components. The oils of C. decurrens from two populations in Oregon and one disjunct population in southern California were high in δ-3-carene (15.2-20.2%), limonene (18.2-23.6%), α-pinene (8.7-15.8%), terpinolene (5.7-8.0%), α-fenchyl acetate (3.5-9.7%), with some cedrol (0.8-1.2%). No large differences in oil compositions were seen between the three C. decurrens populations. Platycladus orientalis (= Thuja orientalis, = Biota orientalis) was found to contain considerable amounts of δ-3-carene (29.8%), cedrol (22.2%), α-pinene (15.1%) and terpinolene (4.9%). Overall, the oil of C. decurrens is as different from C. macrolepis and C. formosana as it is from P. orientalis, suggesting considerable divergence between Calocedrus species, but not between C. macrolepis and C. formosana. These leaf oil analyses support the recognition of C. macrolepis var. formosana in Taiwan as treated in the Flora of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The composition of the leaf oils from seven populations of J. sabina L., one population of Juniperus sabina var. arenaria (E. H. Wilson) Farjon were examined for their geographic variation. In addition, the leaf oils of J. chinensis L. and J. davurica Pall. were compared to J. sabina. Juniperus sabina var. arenaria, the sand loving juniper, oil was found to be very similar to that of J. davurica, Mongolia, and J. sabina, on sand dunes in Mongolia. This suggests that J. sabina var. arenaria might be conspecific with J. davurica. Farjon's move (2001) of J. sabina var. arenaria out of J. chinensis is supported. Considerable differentiation was found in populations of J. sabina from the Iberian peninsula. Cedrol, citronellol, safrole, trans-sabinyl acetate, terpinen-4-ol and β-thujone were found to be polymorphic in several populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twenty one accessions of vetiver (Vetiveria zizanioides (L.) Nash, sterile, oil type) and Khus (V. zizanioides, fertile, non-oil type) were analyzed by the use of random amplified polymorphic DNAs (RAPDs). Nineteen of the accessions clustered strongly around the cultigen, Sunshine. Three accessions, Khus, Northern India, Kassel, Germany, and Guang Dong, China clustered loosely and were not closely related to the sterile oil producing vetivers. Thirteen of the vetiver accessions were grown in test plots in Florida, USA, Nepal and Portugal. The largest growth was recorded in Nepal, followed closely by Florida and by the cooler, Mediterranean site in Portugal. No single genotype (DNA cultivar) grew best in every plot. Oil yields (% oil/dry wt.) were highest in Nepal and Portugal. Oil yields ranged from 0.29% to 9.61%. Essential oil production (g/plant) was highest in Nepal and Florida and ranged from 0.02 to 4.17 (g/plant). Analyses of variation among the major compounds is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]