Chemical composition of fennel oil, Foeniculum vulgare Miller, from Spain

The chemical composition of the volatile oils of seeds of Foeniculum vulgar e Miller from mio Spanish locations (Santander and Aranjuez) were investiga ted by means of GC and GC/MS. Leaf and stem oils of F. vulgare from Aranjue z were also examined. Two different chomotypes have been found in the seeds : (I) methyl chavicol (54.9%), fenchone (24.6%) in the seeds collected in S antander; and (II) (E)-anethole (54.9-38.1%), fenchone (22.2-34.4%) in the seeds gathered in Aranjuez. The oil from the leaves collected in Aranjuez ( April, June) was found to contain methyl chavicol (12.3-12.1%), alpha-phell andrene (9.4-27.2%), limonene (25.3-18%) and fenchone (19.4-18.3%) as major constituents. The oil from the stems gathered in Aranjuez (September) was characterized by a high content of (E)-anethole (17.4-3.3%), a-pinene (9.7- 14.4%), alpha-phellandrene (24.3-31.4%), p-cymene (11.5-5.2%), limonene (11 .6-15%) and fenchone (9.1-17.5%).