A variação sazonal na composição química do óleo essencial em populações de Baccharis trimera natural e cultivada indicou a presença de três grupos de óleos em relação à origem e à fase de desenvolvimento das amostras. O primeiro incluiu amostras floridas, silvestres ou cultivadas, no período entre março-maio, contendo altas percentagens de globulol e espatulenol. No grupo II, com amostras silvestres coletadas entre junho-fevereiro, os constituintes majoritários foram o germacreno D e o (E)-cariofileno, enquanto que o grupo III incluiu amostras cultivadas entre junho-fevereiro e contendo um alto conteúdo de ledol. A análise por correlação canônica indicou que (E)-cariofileno, Mn, saturação por Al e precipitação foram fortemente correlacionados às amostras silvestres (grupo II), enquanto ledol e guaiol correlacionaram-se ao balanço químico do solo (P, K, S, Cu, Zn e saturação por bases) nas amostras cultivadas (grupo III). Ambos os óleos essenciais tem predominantemente hidrocarbonetos, embora em dois meses o conteúdo em sesquiterpenos oxigenados seja superior a 40% para ambas as amostras. As variações observadas podem estar relacionadas ao ambiente.The seasonal variations in the chemical composition of the essential oil of wild and cultivated Baccharis trimera populations indicated the presence of three clusters of oils regarding population and phenophase. The first included flowering, wild, and cultivated samples from a period of March-May, with high percentages of globulol and spathulenol. In cluster II, with wild samples collected from June-February, the major constituents were germacrene D and (E)-caryophyllene, while cluster III included cultivated samples from June-February containing a high content of ledol. The canonical correlation analysis revealed that (E)-caryophyllene, Mn, Al saturation, and precipitation were quite strongly related to wild samples (cluster II), whereas ledol and guaiol were related to chemical balance in soils (P, K, S, Cu, Zn, and base saturation) of cultivated samples (cluster III). Both essential oils have predominantly hydrocarbon compositions, although for a couple of months the oxygenated sesquiterpene content is over 40% for both samples. The observed chemovariation might be environmentally determined. Vol. 18, No. 5, 2007 popular uses in Brazil show that B. trimera is employed in the treatment of malaria, sore throat and tonsillitis, angines, anaemia, urinary inflammation and leprosy. [2][3][4] Liver-protective properties, gastrointestinal action, potential antidiabetic activity, and anti-arthritic effects have been validated, 5,6 and the anti-ophidian, relaxant, antimutagenic, antimicrobial, and antiprotozoal activities have also been reported. 7,8 Chemical studies revealed the presence of clerodanetype diterpenes, saponins and their glycosides, and several flavonoids in this species. 5,7 Carqueja oil, a commercial fragrance cited as a reminiscent of rosewood, 9 is stemdistilled from its aerial parts, with the unusual monoterpene alcohol carquejol and its acetyl ester ...