Abstract: | The chemical composition of the volatile oil of 10 trees each of two Oregon populations of the western juniper was determined by a computerized GC-MS method. The identity of the major components, sabinene, α-pinene, α- and γ-terpinene, p-cymene, limonene, terpinen-4-ol and bornyl acetate was confirmed. In addition, tricyclene, α-thujene, camphene, β-pinene, α- and β-phellandrene, car-3-ene, trans-ocimene, linalool oxide, terpinolene, trans-sabinene hydrate, camphor, camphene hydrate, borneol, α-terpineol, p-cymenol, methyl citronellate, citronellyl acetate, carvacrol, cuminic aldehyde, β-bourbonene, several cadinene and cadinol isomers, elemol, γ-, β- and α-eudesmol, and manoyl oxide were identified. Santene, citronellol, and aromatic ethers of the safrole-eugenol type were not found. Tree-to-tree variability of the relative percentages of these terpenes was fairly large and chemosystematic implications are discussed briefly. |