Composition of essential oils from the leaves of seven New Zealand species of Pittosporum (Pittosporaceae)

The compositions of the hydrodistilled leaf oils of seven Pittosporum species, which are endemic to New Zealand, were examined by GUMS. Their composition divided the species into two groups. The oils from the first group (P. crassifolium, P. fairchildii, P. tenuifolium and P. umbellatum) contained sesquiterpenes, which constituted the major portion of the oils and some monoterpenes in low abundance. The second group included P. anomalum, P. eugenioides and P. dallii. The composition of the oil from each of these species was unique and distinguished the species from all others. The oil of P. anomalum was characterized by the abundance of P-elemene and dodecanal, that of P. eugenioides by the abundance of octyl acetate and terpinen-4-ol and that of P. dallii by the abundance of phytyl acetate. The yields of oil from all species were low, as a result of which the oils are unlikely to attract commercial interest.