The essential oils of the barks of Croton monteverdensis Huft and C. niveus Jacq. (Euphorbiaceae) from Monteverde, Costa Rica, were isolated by hydrodistillation in yields of 0.03% and 0.10%, respectively. The chemical composition of the oils was determined by GC–MS. The most abundant essential oil components of C. monteverdensis were α-pinene (17.1%), β-pinene (10.5%), and linalool (8.3%), while C. niveus bark oil was made up largely of α-pinene (14.4%), 1,8-cineole (11.6%), and borneol (8.5%). The major components account for the fragrances and are consistent with the traditional medicinal uses of these plants.
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