ABSTRACT
The chemical composition of the essential oils from different Lavandula species, hybrids and cultivars show not only interspecific differences, but also intraspecific differences, which may sometimes be due to climatic, geographical or seasonal differences or due simply to the amount of watering or fertilization used. It may also depend on variation due to genotypes, which can occur either in plants growing in close proximity or in plants some considerable distance away, for example, in different countries. It can also be due to the method of essential oil extraction and, in the case of commercial oils, to the degree of blending and adulteration. The many species, hybrids and cultivars of Lavandula have only been studied to a limited extent and many of these show wide differences in their compositions, while some are apparently very consistent.
