Distribution Patterns of Essential Oil Terpenes in Native and Invasive Species and Their Comparative Assessment.

The importance of invasive L. species to the environment creates a new approach to controlling their spread through the use of potentially high value raw materials. The aim of this study was to assess the distribution patterns of volatile compounds in the four spp., by identifying common and species-specific compounds with their potentials, and to confirm the origin of the spontaneous hybrid on the basis of comparative assessment of essential oil (EO) profiles. Plant material in the flowering phase was collected in mixed populations from six different sites. The EOs were isolated separately from the leaf and the inflorescence samples by hydrodistillation for 3 h. The chemical analysis was performed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Multivariate data analysis was employed to explain the interspecies relationships among spp. The results revealed the similarity among spp. EO profiles, which were dominated by monoterpenes and oxygenated compound fractions. spp. differed in species distinctive terpenes and their distribution between accessions and plant parts. Volatile compound patterns confirmed the origin of between and , with the higher contribution of alien species than native ones. Correct taxonomic identification of species is highly essential for the targeted collection of raw material from the wild for different applications. spp. can be considered to be underutilized sources of bioactive secondary metabolites.