Terpene composition in four Italian provenances of Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis Mill.)

Terpene composition of cortical tissue was analyzed in four populations (Patemisco, Vico del Gargano, Imperia, and Otricoli) of Pinus halepensis Mill., grown in experimental plantations. Major constituents were .beta.-myrcene and .alpha.-pinene. The results of the analyses of variance showed significant differences in content of most terpenes between the provenances; based on the Duncan test, only Vico del Gargano and Patemisco didn't differ significantly from one another in any terpenes. Discriminant and cluster analyses showed that Otricoli is the most distinctive provenance, while Vico del Gargano and Patermisco are relatively close. Results suggest that terpene composition can be a useful biochemical marker for discriminating Italian provenances of Aleppo pine.