abstract the essential oils obtained from air-dried subterranean parts of valeriana officinalis ssp. collina (wallr.) nyman (valerianaceae), 'shipka,' was analyzed by gc and gc/ms, and 62 components were identified. the oil yield, collected in plants grown in 1995 and 1998, was 0.42% (v/m) and 0.40% (v/m) respectively, related to the air-dried roots. two new sesquiterpenes, (-)-pacifigorgia-l(6),10-diene and (-)-valerena-4,7(11)-diene were identified for the first time in both oils. some major constituents were bornyl acetate (6.0%-7.3%), spathulenol (5.2%-4.1%), valeranone (12.0%-6.8%), valerenal (9.1%-8.5%), -kessyl acetate (2.1%-6.2%) and (-)-valerena-4,7(11)-diene (7.2%-4.6%).