Abstract The composition of the essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation from aerial parts of Echinophora platyloba DC., a native plant of Iran, was analyzed by GC/MS. Twenty-nine components were characterized representing 95.3% of the oil. (E)Î²-ocimene (49.9%) was the main constituent of the oil, followed by Î³-decalactone (8.4%), Î±-pinene (6.0%) and linalool (5.6%).