Abstract The essential oils from the epigeous (above ground) and hypogeous (below ground) parts of Meum athamanticum Jacq., which were obtained by hydro-distillation, were subjected to analysis by GC and GC/MS. The major components were found to be (E)-β-ocimene (34.9%), p-cymene (12.1%), (Z)-β-ocimene (10.2%) and δ-3-carene (6.2%) in the epigeous part oil and (Z)-ligustilide (36.2%), (E)-β-ocimene (14.4%) and (Z)-3-butylidene phthalide (6.3%) from the hypogeous part oil.