Essential oil composition of Ephedra nebrodensis Tineo ex Guss. subsp. nebrodensis from central Italy

The essential oil of Ephedra nebrodensis Tineo ex Guss. subsp. nebrodensis growing in central Italy was analyzed for the first time by GC and GC/MS. Fifty-nine components were identified, representing 89.3% of the oil under study. The oxygenated monoterpenes gave the highest contribution (33.0 %), and citronellol (29.7%) was the main component of this fraction. Esters were the second most abundant group of components (18.8%) with ethyl hexadecanoate (9.5%) as the main representative in this fraction. Qualitative and quantitative composition of the oil was discussed in order to support the actual botanical discrimination from E. major Host, so far exclusively morphologically based.