Publication Cover
Acta Botanica Gallica
Botany Letters
Volume 158, 2011 - Issue 2
232
Views
1
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Original Articles

Study of the essential oil of three species of thyme in their limit of distribution in Spain

, , , &
Pages 251-262 | Received 30 Jan 2010, Accepted 02 Jun 2010, Published online: 26 Apr 2013
 

Abstract

We analyzed the essential oils of three cultivated thymes whose provenance was populations at the limit of their distribution in Spain. In the flowering stage, the Peninsular endemic Th. villosus subsp. lusitanicus has linalool (49.6%) as principal component, an evidence for the chemical polymorphism described for this taxon. For Th. caespititius, high values are obtained for α-terpineol (41.1%), confirming the chemical homogeneity in the Iberian Peninsula. The studied population of the Eurosiberian species Th. pulegioides, which is at its southern limit in the Iberian Peninsula, has as principal components γ-terpinene (31.7%), thymol (25.6%), p-cymene (16.4%), and carvacrol (3.5%), values which do not compare readily with the literature data. The chemical analyses performed for the fruiting stage are new. The only major differences with the flowering stage are found for Th. pulegioides.

Résumé

Nous avons analysé les huiles essentielles de trois espèces de thym cultivés et les limites de leur distribution en Espagne. En fleur, l'endémique péninsulaire Th. villosus subsp. lusitanicus est composé en majorité de linalol (49,6%), une donnée qui accentue le polymorphisme chimique observé pour ce taxon. Pour Th. caespititius, les valeurs obtenues sont élevés en α-terpinéol (41.1%), confirmant ainsi son homogénéité chimique dans la Péninsule Ibérique. La population étudiée de l'espèce eurosibérienne Th. pulegioides, située à sa limite sud, avait comme principaux composants: γ-terpinène (31.7%), thymol (25.6%), p-cymène (16.4%) et carvacrol (3,5%), valeurs difficilement comparables avec les données connues. Les analyses chimiques réalisées en fruit sont nouvelles, sans qu'il existe de différences importantes avec l'état de floraison à l'exception de Th. pulegioides.

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.