Essential Oil Composition of Asteriscus maritimus (L.) Less. from Spain**

The essential oil composition of different aerial parts (stems+leaves and flowers) of Asteriscus maritimus has been analysed by gas chromatography which was coupled with mass spectrometry. A total of 43 compounds have been identified from the different fractions studied, representing more than the 90% of the total oil for each one. Both aerial parts shared most of the main compounds although quantitative differences have been detected. The oils extracted from the stems and leaves showed α-pinene (27.5%) and p-cymene (10.0%) as major components. In the flower oils these compounds were also representative, α-pinene (9.0%) and p-cymene (7.3%), although the main ones were β-phellandrene (11.8%), fonenol (10.9%) and α-phellandrene (10.0%). These compounds were representatively found in the other fraction: β-phellandrene (8.38%), α-phellandrene (7.28%) and fonenol (5.6%). The monoterpene fraction was predominant in the stems and leaves oil (54.6%) while the sesquiterpene fraction was the largest one in the flowers oil (55.3%).