abstract leaf oil from fruiting female and non-fruiting male pimenta dioica (l.) merr. trees, were analyzed by gc. oil yields from male pimento trees (2.13%) were typically lower than that for female trees (2.67%). non-fruiting and fruiting trees contained the same volatile components with different relative abundances. the composition of eugenol (p< 0.01), and myrcene, -phellandrene, - terpinene, terpinolene and -thujene (p< 0.005) were significantly different in the female versus the male pimento trees. characteristic monoterpenoid profiles were observed for the fruiting and non-fruiting pimento trees which could be used for the early prediction of the berry bearing ability of pimento trees.