abstract volatile constituents of sandalwood (santalum insulare) concrete from the island of nuku-hiva in marquesas islands were studied using gc, gc/ms, hplc and nmr. the investigation of nine main compounds showed important variations among sandalwood samples (from 3.5-53.2% for -santalol and from trace to 29.3% for (z)-nuciferol). statistical analysis put in relief a geographical segregation between sandalwoods growing in dry area in terre-d'eserte (14.6% of - and -santalol, 17.1% of (z)-nuciferol and 11.7% of 6,13-dihydroxybisabola-2,10-diene) and sandalwoods growing in wetter area of the other parts of the island (60.9% of - and -santalol, 1.2% of (z)-nuciferol and 0.7% of 6,13-dihydroxybisabola-2,10-diene). the chemotype rich in (z)-nuciferol of terre-d'eserte constitutes a rare and new chemotype, which is described for the first time.