Gas–liquid chromatography of terpenes. Part XVIII. The volatile oil of the leaves of Juniperus communis L.

The volatile leaf oil of the local common juniper was found to consist mainly of α-pinene (73 to 83%) and smaller amounts (0.5 to 5%) of β-pinene, 3-carene, myrcene, limonene, methyl citronellate, bornyl acetate, myrtenal, myrtenol, myrtenyl acetate, α-terpineol, citronellol, citronellyl acetate, nerolidol, farnesol, and an unusual hydroxy ketone. Of the many trace constituents, β-phellandrene, citronellal, "iso-" citronellal, linalool, geraniol, isopulegol, 4-terpinenol, and ε-cadinene were isolated, whereas camphene, sabinene, α-phellandrene, γ-terpinene, terpinolene, p-cymene, fenchone, thujone, isothujone and δ-cadinene could only be tentatively identified.There was little variation in the quantitative composition of the leaf oil from one plant to another. Since the composition of this oil differs significantly from that of other juniper leaf oils, chemotaxonomic studies by means of leaf oil analysis are feasible.