Volatile Constituents ofPhlomis ellipticaBenth., A Rare Plant Endemic to Iran

The oil obtained by hydrodistillation of aerial parts of Phlomis elliptica Benth. (Labiatae), which is a rare shrub endemic to Iran, was subjected to GC-FID and GC-MS analyses. Thirty-one constituents, making up about 98.4 % of the total composition of oil, were characterized. Monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes and other compounds constituted 13.4 %, 78.9 %and 6.1 % of the essential oil, respectively. The major components were sesquiterpene hydrocarbons β-farnesene (28.9 %), trans-caryophyllene (20.3 %), β-selinene (10%) and α-gurjunene (6.4%) and the monoterpene hydrocarbon α-pinene (11.3 %).