Geographic variation and systematic of Juniperus phoenicea from Madeira and the Canary Islands: analyses of leaf volatile oils

Abstract

All of the oils of J. phoenicea from the Canary Islands and Madeira were very similar. The volatile leaf oils were dominated by α-pinene (57.3 - 76%) as was the oil from Morocco (65.4%). This is higher than in J. p. var. phoenicea, Spain (41.2%) or var. turbinata, Spain, (25.8%). The Madeira and Canary Island oils had moderate amounts of β-phellandrene (0.5 - 8.0%), myrcene (2.3 - 3.3%), α-terpinyl acetate (trace - 5.0%), (E)-caryophyllene (0.4 - 1.4%), and trans-totarol (0.1 - 2.1%). There is some differentiation in the oils from Madeira and the Canary Islands from populations in Spain and Morocco, but not enough to justify the recognition of J. p. subsp. canariensis at this time.