Fragrance chemistry and pollinator affinities in Nyctaginaceae

We present results of dynamic head-space collections and GC-MS analyses of floral and vegetative fragrances for 20 species in three genera of Nyctagin accae: Acleisanthes, Mirabilis and Selinocarpus. Most of the species includ ed in this study are either hawkmoth or noctuid moth-pollinated. A wide var iety of compounds were observed, including mono- and sesquiterpenoids, arom atics (both benzenoids and phenylpropanoids), aliphatic compounds, lactones , and nitrogen-bearing compounds. Intraspecific variation in fragrance prof iles was significantly lower than interspecific variation. Each species had a unique blend of volatiles, and the fragrance of many species contained s pecies-specific compounds. The fragrance profiles presented here are genera lly consistent with previous studies of fragrance in a variety of moth-poll inated angiosperms. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.