The essential oil from Thymus praecox ssp. arcticus growing in Iceland.

The essential oil from THYMUS PRAECOX Opiz ssp. arcticus (E. Durand), Jalas, a widely distributed plant in Iceland, was proved to contain linalyl acetate as main component (70%). Within the sesquiterpene fraction, beta-caryophyllene (4%), germacrene D (3%), beta-bisabolene (2%), beta-sesquiphellandrene (1%), gamma-cadinene (0.5%), and a couple of oxygenated sesquiterpenes (13%) were found by means of GLC-MS. Additionally four such compounds were isolated and identified by means of IR and NMR spectroscopy as nerolidol (3%), T-cadinol (1%), hedycaryol (7%), and 7-hydroxygermacrene (about 2%).