Abstract We analyzed the essential oil of Xylopia aethiopica from dried fruit and the powder obtained from crushed dried fruit using combined GC and GC/MS. The principal constituents identified in the fruit oil were β-pinene (19.1%), γ-terpinene (14.7%), trans-pinocarveol (8.6%) and p-cymene (7.3%). In the oil from the powder die major constituents were β-pinene (9.9%), α-cadinol (6.9%), trans-pinocarveol (4.6%), α-pinene (4.1%) and 1,8-cineole (4.0%).