Coconut Laurels: The Leaf Essential Oils from Four Endemic Australian Cryptocarya Species: C. bellendenkerana, C. cocosoides, C. cunninghamii and C. lividula (Lauraceae).

The leaf oils of four species of Cryptocarya, endemic to Australia, were examined. These species are known colloquially as 'coconut laurels' due to the purported distinctive aroma from the crushed foliage. C. cocosoides produced an oil in which bicyclogermacrene (3-26%), spathulenol (16-47%), massoia lactone (6-pentyl-5,6-dihydro-2H-pyran-2-one) (11-15%), (6-heptyl-5,6-dihydro-2H-pyran-2-one (0.3-3%) and benzyl benzoate (0.2-5%) were the principal components. C. cunninghamii showed a second chemotype to that previously published, with benzyl benzoate (80.2%) being the principal component. C. bellendenkerana gave a leaf oil in which the major components were the terpenes limonene (8.3%), β-phellandrene (11.8%) and viridiflorene (9.1%). The principal components of the leaf oil of C. lividula were bicyclogermacrene (26.1%), spathulenol (21.1%) and β-eudesmol (6.1%). Benzaldehyde and acetophenone were both present in amounts of less than 0.7%. Only C. cocosoides and C. cunninghamii have been found to have a 'coconut' aroma mainly due to the presence of massoia lactone and homologues.