Abstract The volatile components of the peel essential oil of Microcitrus australasica var. sanguinea (F.M. Bail) Swing were characterized by combined GC and GC/MS analyses. Fifty-eight over a total of 65 components were identified, bicyclogermacrene (25.9%), Î±-pinene (10.2%) and spathulenol (9.8%) were the main compounds. As a whole and in detail, the chemical composition of M. australasica var. sanguinea peel oil is very different from that of the peel oils of Citrus species, the most known related genus.