Abstract The water-distilled volatile oils from aerial parts of Anthemis talyshensis A. Fedor. and Sclerorhachis platyrachis (Boiss.) Podlech ex Rech. f. (two Compositae species that are endemic to Iran) were analyzed by GC and GC/MS. α-Eudesmol (18.2%), borneol (13.3%), hexadecanoic acid (9.5%), γ-eudesmol (8.6%) and elemol (7.6%) were the predominant constituents of the oil of A. talyshensis. The oil of S. platyrachis consisted mainly of monoterpenes and a small percentage of sesquiterpenes. The major components found in the oil were α-pinene (31.2%), camphor (24.8%) and β-pinene (14.7%).