Abstract Steam distillation of the aerial parts of Mentha longifolia (L.) Huds. ssp. schimperi Briq. and Mentha spicata L. growing in Sudan yielded oil contents of 1.8% and 0.9%, respectively. Analysis of the oils by GC and GC/MS revealed that both oils were found to be rich in carvone. Twenty-two compounds were identified in each oil, the major ones being carvone (67.3%, 78.9%), limonene (13.5%, 8.8%), 1,8-cineole (5.4%, 2.6%), menthone (2.9%, 1.6%), linalool (2.8%, 3.2%) and isomenthone (1.2%, 0.6%) for M. longifolia and M. spicata, respectively.