Abstract The oil obtained by steam distillation of the seed of Pycnocycla spinosa Decne. & Boiss. growing wild in central and south of Iran was investigated by GC/MS. Twenty components (99â5%) were identified, of which elemicin (65%), linalyl acetate (11%), Î²-caryophyllene (7%) and Î²-eudesmol (4%) were the major ones.