Volatile oils obtained by hydrodistillation of the tubers of two varieties (brown and black) of Cyperus esculentus L. (Cyperaceae) were analyzed by GC and GC-MS. Nine and 11 compounds, representing 91.7â99.7% of the total volatile oils were identified, respectively, from the brown and black varieties. The most representative compounds were α-pinene (70.5â75.5%) and α-thujene (5.2â10.2%). Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.