<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p><jats:italic>Backhousia anisata</jats:italic> Vickery has been found to occur in two chemotypes. One chemotype contains <jats:italic>E</jats:italic>‐anethole (90+ %) as its major component with small amount of methyl chavicol (< 5%) and very little<jats:italic>Z</jats:italic>‐anethole( < 0.1 %). The second chemotype contains methyl chavicol (60‐75%) as its major compound with smaller amounts of <jats:italic>E</jats:italic>‐anethole (< 25%) and <jats:italic>Z</jats:italic>‐anethole (<0.1%). In both cases the oil yield was 1‐1.5% based on fresh leaves.