Rind oils of nine cultivars of mandarin originated by recent mutation (Loretina, Marisol, Arrufatina, Clemenules, Clemenpons, Hernandina, Oronules, Satsuma Okitsu, Satsuma Owari) belonging to the Citrus reticulata Blanco species and 2 hybrids Fortune (Citrus tangerine Hort. ex Tan x Citrus clementina Hort ex Tan) and Nova (Tangelo Orlando x Citrus clementina Hort ex Tan) were obtained from ripe fruits of trees growing in the same environmental and cultivated conditions. The study of their chemical composition was carried out by capillary GC, GC/MS and the results were submitted to discriminant analysis. The first discriminant function separates the alpha-thujene chemocultivar, corresponding to oriental mandarin cultivars (Satsuma Okitsu, Satsuma Owari), from the Mediterranean cultivars. Inside this last group, the second discriminant function split up the sabinene chemocultivar (Marisol, Arrufatina Clemenpons and Loretina from the hybrids group (Fortuna and Nova) and alters (Clemenules and Hernandina)). The differential compounds of these groups are: alpha-thujene alpha-pinene, sabinene, myrcene, limonene, linalool, alpha-terpineol and germacrene-D. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.