the volatile compounds obtained from the different organs of houttuynia cordata (saururaceae) and litsea cubeba (lauraceae) were analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (gc/ms), headspace solid phase micro extraction-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (headspace solid-phase microextraction-gc/ms), and gc/olfactometry (gc/o). the major component of all parts of h. cordata is assigned as 4-tridecanone. each organ produces myrcene as the major monoterpenoid. the major monoterpene in the rhizomes and roots was -pinene instead of myrcene. 1-decanal which was responsible for the unpleasant odor of this plant, was the predominant polyketide in both leaves and stems. the presence of 1-decanal was very poor in flowers, stem collected in summer, rhizomes, and roots. gc/ms analyses were very simple in case of the crude extracts of flowers. the content of sesquiterpenoids was extremely poor. (8z)-heptadecene, geranial, and neral were detected as the major components in litsea cubeba. odor-contributing components by gc/o analysis of the ether extract of the fresh flowers of l. cubeba were neral and geranial which played an important role in sweet-lemon fragrance of the flowers. the role of a high content of (8z)-heptadecene was still unknown but it might play a significant role in the dispersion of the volatile monoterpene hydrocarbons and aldehydes. the flower volatiles of the japanese l. cubeba were chemically quite different from those of the chinese same species.