Essential Oil Composition ofAchillea crithmifoliaW. et K. 1. Identification of Chemovarieties Grown in Wild Populations

Abstract

Under open field and phytotron conditions (in “warm” and “cold” programs) the individuals of four Hungarian wild growing populations of Achillea crithmifolia W. et K. have been studied. According to the main essential oil constituents the populations of the Mátra mountain were characterized as “camphor-types,” while those of the Visegrádi and Börzsöny mountains were characterized as “cineole-types” and “achillenol-types” respectively, although neither one of the populations was homogeneous. Because this chemical difference remained constant under both phytotron conditions, we believe that the differences are genotypic rather than phenotypic. Also, as morphological features of the plants could not be correlated with any characteristic essential oil composition, the plant individuals which possess different main oil components must be examples of real chemotypes. Our observations indicate, however, some changes due to environmental factors as well as ontogenetical stages.