abstract the composition of the essential oils of nepeta denudate benth. and n. cephalotes boiss., which are endemic to iran, was investigated by means of gc, gc/ms and 1h-nmr spectra of the main compounds, 1,8-cineole (48.0%), myrtenol (5.0%), -pinene (4.6%) and trans-pinocarveol (4.5%) were the main components among the 21 constituents characterized in the oil of n. denudata, representing 85.7% of the total components detected. ten compounds were identified in the oil of n. cephalotes representing 78.5% of the total oil with 4a, 7, 7a-nepetalactone (35.1%), -pinene (18.2%) and 1,8-cineole (11.4%) as the major constituents. the structure of 1,8-cineole, nepetalactone and -pinene were confirmed by their 1h-nmr spectra.