Abstract The essential oils isolated by hydrodistillation from the leaves or seeds of Aframomum citratum (Pereira) K. Schum., Aframomum hanburyi K. Schum., A. letestuanum Gagnepain and A. pruinosum Gagnepain (Zingiberaceae) grown in Cameroon were analyzed by GC and GC/MS. The leaf oils obtained from A. citratum and A. hanburyi were characterized by being rich in monoterpene hydrocarbons, dominated by pinenes. The major volatile components from seeds of the four species were oxygenated components belonging to the acyclic terpene class, such as geraniol (70.0%) in the case of A. citratum, (E,E)-farnesol (27.3%) and linalool (19.0%) for A. hanburyi, while A. letestuanum and A. pruinosum contained a main proportion of (E)-nerolidol (67.0% and 91.7%, respectively) in their seeds oils.