Pacific Southwest

Title: Local and regional variation in the monoterpenes of ponderosa pine wood oleoresin

Author: Smith, R.H.; Peloquin, R.L.; Passof, P.C.

Date: 1969

Source: Res. Paper PSW-RP-056. Albany, CA: Pacific Southwest Research Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture; 14 p.

Station ID: RP-PSW-056

Description: A gas chromatographic analysis of the mono-terpenes of 927 ponderosa pines, representing to some degree a major portion of the species' range, showed considerable local and regional diversity in composition. Five major monoterpenes— α-pinene, β-pinene, 3-carene, myrcene, and limonene—were analyzed. There is some evidence to support the establishment of at least eight regional types of ponderosa pine, and a further breakdown of these into four major and four minor ones on the basis of greater differences. More meaningful than regional types may be individual tree variants; at least 25 of these have been identified. However, despite regional types and the large number of individual variants, trees with similar composition were found in all regions except southern Arizona. Limonene had the largest coefficient of variation in 48 of 74 plots. Neither elevation nor age of the tree had an apparent effect on composition. Minor components found were heptane, α-thujene, camphene, sabinene, unde-cane, β-phellandrene, -γ-terpinene, and terpinolene; however, only the last three were commonly found.

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Citation

Smith, R.H.; Peloquin, R.L.; Passof, P.C.  1969.  Local and regional variation in the monoterpenes of ponderosa pine wood oleoresin.   Res. Paper PSW-RP-056. Albany, CA: Pacific Southwest Research Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture; 14 p..