<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>The essential oil of <jats:italic>Murraya crenulata</jats:italic> (Turcz.) Oliver (Rutaceae) was obtained from fresh leaves by hydrodistillation of plant material collected in Lifou, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia. Analysis by a combination of GC and GC–MS indicates a characteristic chemical composition dominated by <jats:italic>p</jats:italic>‐menthane derivatives, mainly perilla aldehyde (73.2%), limonene (8.2%), perilla alcohol (6.5%) and its acetate (6.0%). Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.