Abstract The essential oil of Xanthogalum purpurascens Lallem. was obtained by hydrodistillation (HD), microdistillation (MD) and micro-steam distilled solid-phase micro extraction (MSD-SPME) techniques. The oils were then analyzed by GC and GC/MS. The composition of oils depended on the extraction method employed. The main components of the hydrodistilled oil were found to be Î±-phellandrene (32%), Î²-phellandrene (23%), isopropyl hexanoate (6%), limonene (5.3%), p-cymene (3.7%), Î±-pinene (3.2%) and bicyclogermacrene (3%).