Abstract The essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation of the leaves, rhizomes and roots of Elettariopsis elan C.K. Lim were analysed by capillary GC and GCâMS. Twentyâeight compounds were identified in the leaf oil, among which monoterpenoids predominated and the most abundant component was geraniol (71.6%). The rhizomes and roots yielded an oil also rich in monoterpenoids but with a distinctly different odour, with camphene (28.6%), fenchyl acetate (8.6%) and α âphellandrene (8.4%) as the major components. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.