The essential oils of Australian Members of the Genus Asteromyrtus (Myrtaceae)

Biochemical Systematics and Ecology
1994.0

Abstract

The foliage of the six mainland Australian members of the recently reinstated genus Asteromyrtus has yielded essential oils which qualitatively contain the same mixtures of mono- and sesquiterpenes. Quantitatively, however, the oils differ from each other and could be used to differentiate the species. Asterornyrtus angustifolia contains an oil whose principal components are 0¢-pinene (10%), 1,8-cineole (31%) and l~-caryophyllene (23%). The oil of A. arnhemica contains ac-pinene (92%) as its principal component. Asteromyrtus brassii yields an oil whose principal components are (x-pinene (6%), 1,8-cineole (24%), 3'-terpinene (21%). The principal components of the oil from A, lysicephala are =-pinene (11.2%), 1,8-cineole (49%) and ¢-terpinyl acetate (4%), while for that of A. magnifica they are c~-pinene (14%), ~-pinene (20%) and 1,8-cineole (36%). The oil from A. symphyocarpa is rich in 0~-pinene (16%) and 1,8-cineole (40%). Principal coordinate and single linkage cluster analyses were used to determine the infrageneric relationships based upon the essential oil data. The analyses do not provide support for a classification of the species based upon morphological-reproductive features.

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