Abstract: The headspace constituents emitted from different varieties of fresh Osmanthus fragrans Lour. flowers were investigated by means of headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled to gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC /MS). In this study 20 volatile compoundswere identified in Osmanthus fragrans var. thunbergii, 13 volatile compounds were identified in Osm anthus frag rans, 9 volatile compounds were identified in Osmanthus fragrans f. au rantiacus. (Z)-ocimene, 4-hexenyl acetate, cis-linalol oxide, trans-linalool oxide, β-linalool, α-ionone, β-ionone, γ-decalactone were the same volatiles released from fresh flowers of three different Osmanthus fragrans Lour. The finger prints were analyzed by similarity evaluation and princip le component analysis to conduct the chemical pattern recognition. The results indicated that headspace SPME-GC /MS afforded a simp le samp ling method for identification of the main volatile fragrance from different varieties of fresh Osm anthus fragrans Lour. flowers. The fragrans of Osmanthus fragrans Lour. flowers not only had some resemblance, but also had some difference. The different varieties of fresh Osmanthus fragrans Lour. flowers were distinguished and classified by finger prints similarity evaluation and
p rincip le component analysis.

Key words: Osmanthus fragrans Lour., volatile fragrance compound, SPME, GC /MS, fingerp rint, principle component analysis