abstract essential oils, which were obtained from the leaves of eugenia hyemalis cambess. and eugenia stigmatosa dc., collected in southern brazil, were analyzed by gc and gc/ms. thirty-three compounds were identified in the analyzed samples. the oil obtained from e. stigmatosa is extremely simple, containing more than 90% of physeteric acid [(z)-tetradec-5-enoic acid], an olefinic fatty acid, accompanied by its esters and tetradecalactones. the major component of e. hyemalis oil is bicyclogermacrene (37.7%), followed by germacrene d (7.0%) and -caryophyllene (7.4%).