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Abstract
The chemical composition of the essential oils isolated from the flowering aerial parts of Erica australis L. (Ericaceae), collected in Portugal, were studied by gas-chromatography (GC) and by gas-chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In order to evaluate if the flower colour was related to different volatiles composition, the dried flowering aerials parts of E. australis were separated into flowers showing light pink, medium pink and dark pink colour, and assessed separately. Forty-three components were identified in each sample showing the dominance of 1-octen-3-ol (33–38%), the aldehyde n-nonanal (8–11%), and the alcohol n-octanol (6–7%). Other alcohols were also present, although in minor amounts, like n-heptanol (4 %), cis-3-hexen-1-ol (2–5%), and 2-octen-1-ol (2–3%). The aldehydes 2-trans, 4-trans-decadienal (2–4%), and 2-trans-decenal (2%), and nonanoic acid (2%) were also identified in the analysed samples. No remarkable differences were observed on their chemical composition, suggesting that colour polymorphism does not influence E. australis essential oil yield or composition.