We selected three stocks of typical tea-scented modern rose and identified 72 volatile components from 'Lady Hillingdon' flower, 76 components from 'Diorama' flower, and 67 components from 'Grand Mogul' flower. By volatile components analysis of nine taxa of Rosa chinensis, we established that the main volatile component of R. chinensis var. spontanea was 1,3,5-trimethoxybenzene. We utilized the results to assess the geneology of ancient Chinese roses.

Plantlets were regenerated from callus of Iris pallida, an important perfume plant. Only the leaf base attached to the rhizome had the ability to generate yellow-colored callus on LS medium supplemented with 1 mg/l 2,4-D and 0.1 mg/l KT in the dark. Yellow calli grew with partial differentiation into white tissue, probably embryogenic, during subculture on the same medium with a 16-h photoperiod. Only yellow-colored calli with the white tissue could differentiate into plantlets after transfer to kinetin- or gibberellin- supplemented LS medium. Regenerated plantlets which grew on the medium without growth regulators were transferred to the soil. After 2 years of cultivation in soil, the regenerated plants flowered and formed rhizomes. The components of the essential oil in the rhizome of regenerated plants were essentially the same as those in natural plants.

Volatile components in the headspace vapors of Cymbidiumfaberi 'Dawipin' and Cymbidium virescens 'SongmeF were adsorbed on Tenax TAin a column, then flushed out by heating the column, and finally collected in a cold trap. They were directly analyzed by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry combined with gas chromatography. Thirty three compounds and fifty two compounds were identified as volatile components in the headspace vapors of 'Dawipin' flowers and 'Songmei' flowers, respectively. Methyl jasmonate and methyl epijasmonate were found to be indispensable for the beautiful scent of these flowers. TO-YO-RANis an Oriental orchid native to China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. For many, the scent of TO-YO-RAN is considered more important in comparison with the color and shape. In evaluating TO-YO-RAN,the excellent scent by traditional values has been greatly appreciated since ancient times.

Extracts from ten species of apple flowers harvested at Aomori Experiment Station have been investigated by GC. No significant differences in chemical composition were observed in the volatile components of the ten species. The extract of ‘Redgold’ flowers, which is one of apple cultivars, was fractionated by column chromatography and analysed with GC and GC–MS. Seventy‐seven compounds were identified and cis‐hex‐3‐en‐1‐ol, benzyl alcohol, 2‐phenylethyl alcohol, cinnamyl alcohol, nonanal, octanol and indole were found to make a major contribution to the odour of apple flowers.

The essential oil of Plumeria rubra forma acutifolia (Poir.) Woodson cv. 'Common Yellow' growing in Hawaii was extracted by simultaneous distillation and extraction (SDE). The essential oil was analysed with GC and GC-MS, and a total of 74 compounds were identified. Linalol, phenylacetaldehyde, truns,truns-farnesol, 8-phenylethyl alcohol, geraniol, x-terpineol, neral and geranial were found to make a major contribution to the floral scent of this flower. K E Y WORDS Plumeria flower Plumeria rubra forma acutifoliu (Poir.) Woodson ApocynaceaeVolatile compounds GC-MS Linalol Phenylacetaldehyde