Abstract Essential oils, which were obtained from fresh leaves of Eugenia beaurepaireana and Eugenia pyriformis, collected in the southern Brazil, were analyzed by GC and GC/MS. Forty-one compounds were identified in the analyzed samples. The species were very similar and characterized by the predominance of sesquiterpenes hydrocarbons. The oils of E. beaurepaireana and E. pyriformis were found to be especially rich in 8-cadinene (7.2% and 12.4%), T-cadinol (6.5% and 11.9%) and a-cadinol (6.1% and 14.0%). These oils also contained important amounts of bicyclogermacrene (14.3% and 10.2%) and Î²-caryophyllene (6.4% and 7.2%).