Terpenes

Bisabolol is a gentle sesquiterpene alcohol with a floral, lightly sweet scent — found in chamomile, candeia and cannabis. Here's the chemistry behind it.

Caryophyllene is one of the few terpenes that interacts with cannabinoid receptors. Here's what the chemistry actually tells us — and where it turns up in nature.

Humulene gives hops their earthy backbone — and it turns up in dozens of other plants. Here's the chemistry and botany behind this sesquiterpene.

Limonene is one of the most recognisable terpenes on earth — found in citrus peel, cannabis, and dozens of Australian natives. Here's the chemistry behind the scent.

Linalool is a floral, slightly spicy monoterpene found in hundreds of plant species. Here's a look at its chemistry, natural sources, and where research currently sits.

Myrcene is one of the most abundant terpenes in nature — found in hops, mangoes, thyme and cannabis alike. Here's what the chemistry actually tells us.

Nerolidol is a sesquiterpene alcohol found in jasmine, neroli, ginger and cannabis. Here's what the chemistry actually tells us.

Ocimene is a sweet, herbaceous monoterpene found across hundreds of plant species. Here's what the chemistry actually says — and where it turns up in nature.

Pinene is one of the most abundant terpenes on Earth — here's the chemistry, the botany, and why it turns up in so many plants.

Terpinolene is a lesser-known monoterpene with a distinctive fresh, piney aroma. Here's what the chemistry and botany actually tell us about it.

Alpha-pinene is a bicyclic monoterpene hydrocarbon responsible for the sharp, resinous, pine-forward aroma found across a wide range of conifers, culinary herbs, and cannabis cultivars.

Alpha-terpineol is a naturally occurring monocyclic monoterpenoid alcohol with a characteristic fresh, floral-lilac aroma, found widely across the plant kingdom and used extensively in fragrance and flavour applications.

Beta-caryophyllene (BCP) is a naturally occurring bicyclic sesquiterpene found in the essential oils of numerous plants, notable for its distinctive spicy, woody, clove-like aroma and its unusual classification as both a terpene and a dietary cannabinoid.

Beta-pinene (β-pinene) is a naturally occurring bicyclic monoterpene found widely across the plant kingdom, recognised by its fresh, woody, and faintly resinous scent.

Bisabolol (α-bisabolol) is a naturally occurring monocyclic sesquiterpene alcohol found in several flowering plants, best known as a principal volatile constituent of German chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla).

Borneol is a bicyclic monoterpenoid alcohol found naturally in a range of aromatic plants, characterised by a sharp, camphoraceous scent with earthy and slightly minty undertones.

Camphene is a bicyclic monoterpene hydrocarbon found widely across the plant kingdom, characterised by a sharp, fir-like, camphoraceous aroma and a molecular structure closely related to that of pinene.

Carvone is a naturally occurring monocyclic monoterpenoid ketone found in the essential oils of a wide range of aromatic plants, best known as the primary odorant of spearmint and caraway.

Caryophyllene oxide is the oxidised derivative of beta-caryophyllene, a bicyclic sesquiterpene epoxide found widely across flowering plants and notable for its distinctive dry, woody, spiced aroma.

Cymene (most commonly p-cymene) is a naturally occurring aromatic monoterpene hydrocarbon found in the essential oils of numerous plants, characterised by a distinctive warm, woody, and faintly citrus-like odour.

Delta-3-carene is a bicyclic monoterpene hydrocarbon found naturally in a range of coniferous and flowering plants, characterised by a sharp, sweet-cedar and pine-like aroma.

Eucalyptol (also known as 1,8-cineole) is a naturally occurring cyclic monoterpenoid ether responsible for the sharp, camphoraceous aroma characteristic of eucalyptus oil and found across a broad range of aromatic plant species.

Farnesene is a naturally occurring sesquiterpene hydrocarbon found in the essential oils of numerous plant species, characterised by its fresh, green, apple-like aroma and a molecular structure that places it within the acyclic sesquiterpene family.

Fenchol (also written fenchyl alcohol) is a naturally occurring bicyclic monoterpene alcohol with a fresh, camphoraceous, piney aroma, found across a wide range of aromatic plant species and identified as a minor constituent of many essential oils.

Geraniol is an acyclic monoterpenoid alcohol found widely across the plant kingdom, responsible for the characteristic rose-like, floral-sweet aroma of many essential oils including rose, palmarosa, and citronella.

Guaiol is a naturally occurring sesquiterpene alcohol found predominantly in the wood and resin of guaiac trees, characterised by a woody, rose-like aroma and studied in preliminary research for its chemical interactions at the cellular level.

Humulene (also known as α-humulene or α-caryophyllene) is a naturally occurring monocyclic sesquiterpene characterised by its woody, earthy, and subtly spiced aroma, found across a wide range of plant species including hops, sage, and cannabis.

Isopulegol is a naturally occurring monocyclic monoterpenoid alcohol with a fresh, minty-herbaceous aroma, found in the essential oils of several aromatic plant species.

Limonene is a monocyclic monoterpene hydrocarbon found abundantly in citrus fruit peel, characterised by a bright, citrus-dominant aroma and the molecular formula C₁₀H₁₆.

Linalool is a naturally occurring monoterpene alcohol found in hundreds of flowering plants and spices, widely recognised for its floral, slightly spicy aroma and its role as a common constituent of essential oils.

Menthol is a cyclic monoterpenoid alcohol found naturally in peppermint and related <em>Mentha</em> species, widely recognised for its characteristic cooling aroma and its role as a secondary metabolite in plant defence chemistry.

Myrcene is a naturally occurring monoterpene hydrocarbon found widely across the plant kingdom, characterised by its earthy, musky aroma with faint herbal and fruity undertones.

Nerolidol is a naturally occurring sesquiterpene alcohol found in the essential oils of numerous flowering plants and conifers, characterised by a soft, woody-floral aroma with subtle green and citrus undertones.

Ocimene is a naturally occurring monoterpene found across a wide range of flowering plants, characterised by its light, sweet, herbaceous aroma with floral and woody undertones.

Phytol is an acyclic diterpene alcohol produced during the breakdown of chlorophyll, found widely in green plants and certain algae, and used as a reference compound in terpene chemistry and fragrance research.

Pulegone is a naturally occurring monocyclic monoterpenoid ketone found predominantly in the essential oils of pennyroyal, peppermint, and related Lamiaceae species, and characterised by a sharp, camphoraceous-minty aroma.

Sabinene is a bicyclic monoterpene occurring naturally in a wide range of plants, characterised by a warm, woody, spicy aroma with faint citrus and pine undertones.

Terpinolene is a naturally occurring monoterpene found across a wide range of flowering plants, conifers, and culinary herbs, characterised by a fresh, piney, floral aroma with faintly smoky or woody undertones.

Trans-nerolidol is a naturally occurring sesquiterpene alcohol found across a wide range of flowering plants, resins and essential oils, characterised by a soft, woody-floral aroma with faint notes of fresh bark and rose.

Valencene is a naturally occurring sesquiterpene hydrocarbon named for the Valencia orange, where it was first characterised, and is responsible for the bright, citrus-woody aromatic quality found in a range of plants and fruits.