Abstract The oils of Athrotaxis cupressoides, A. selaginoides and A. laxifolia were analyzed by a combination of GC and GC/MS. A. cupressoides gave a leaf oil in which the principal components were limonene (46â56%), spathulenol (3â10%), α-acorenol (8â13%) and 8-β-hydroxyisopimarene (2â24%). The principal components in the leaf oil of A. selaginoides were limonene (40â48%), spathulenol (4â11%) and α-bisabolol (6â14%), rimuene (0.8â7%) and 8-β-hydroxyisopimarene (11â29%). A. laxifolia, which is now regarded as a hybrid of the two above species, produced an oil that contained the significant components of the two putative parents, including limonene (34â58%), spathulenol (4â10%), α-acorenol (7â18%), β-acorenol (0.1â0.5%), α-bisabolol (0.6â4%), rimuene (1â4%) and 8-β-hydroxyisopimarene (2â18%).