Variation of fragrance constituents in the leaves of Prunus

Hexane extracts from the leaves collected from 77 individual trees of the subgenera (Cerasus, Padus, Laurocerasus, and Prunus) in the genus Prunus were analyzed using gas chromatography, and the variations of linalool, phenethyl alcohol, and coumarin were investigated.The content of coumarin was 0.00–2.94 mg/dw; the relative content was 0.0–78.4%. The individual trees were divided into two groups, based on whether the relative content of coumarin exceeded 6%. In Pseudocerasus, Prunus verecunda (Koidz.) Koehne and the Yamazakura and Kanhizakura groups showed relatively high coumarin content. Prunus × introrsa cv. Introrsa (Tsubakikanzakura), which is an interspecific hybrid between Prunus campanulata Maxim and Prunus pseudocerasus Lindley, showed the highest coumarin content among all the samples. P. campanulata Maxim and P. pseudocerasus Lindley showed low coumarin content, whereas most interspecific hybrids with P. campanulata Maxim and all interspecific hybrids with P. pseudocerasus Lindley showed high levels of coumarin.These results suggest that the production of coumarin in the leaves of Cerasus trees is genetically controlled.