Essential Oils of Seven BrazilianBaccharisSpecies

A description of the habitat and areas where seven Baccharis species (B. caprariaefolia female and male, B. dracunculifolia female and male, B. erioclada female and male, B. myriocephala, B. platipoda, B. tridentata, B. vincaefolia) are grown, is presented. The essential oils of the aerial parts were obtained by hydrodistillation and examined by GC and GC/MS. The major constituents were: B. caprariaefolia (female/male): β -caryophyllene (17.09%/15.73%); B. dracunculifolia (female/male): β-selinene (9.90%/11.00%); (E)-nerolidol (20.80%/12.02%); B. erioclada (female/male): β-pinene (21.44%/1.16%), limonene (15.16%/2.68%), β-caryophyllene (4.21%/10.70%), spathulenol (6.61%/12.57%); B. myriocephala: δ-cadinene (9.44%), (E)-nerolidol (9.01%/12.57%); B. myriocephala: δ-cadinene (9.44%), (E)-nerolidol (9.01%) and spathulenol (9.44%); B. platipoda: spathulenol (8.76%); B. tridentata: spathulenol (21.20%) and B. vincaefolia: δ-caryophyllene (8.66%), δ-cadinene (8.88%). An oil composition variation between male and female plants of B. caprariaefolia, B. dracunculifolia and B. erioclada was detected. Further experiments observing a B. dracunculifolia (female/male) population of 20 specimens revealed a seasonal and daytime oil composition variation. A preliminary field work on pollinator insects was undertaken.