## 2 Results
### Compounds of Foral Scents  
A total of fifty VOCs were identified in the flower emissions of _A. acutifolius_ and _A. albus_ (Table 4). The components were monoterpenes, carotenoid derivatives, sesquiterpenes, aromatic benzenoids, phenylpropanoids, and alkanes. The main volatile compounds in _A. acutifolius_ were monoterpenes, carotenoid derivatives, and sesquiterpenes. Among monoterpenes, the most abundant compound was (_E_)-geranyl acetone, and geranyl acetone, geranyl acetol, and sulcatone were identified in smaller amounts. The apocarotonoids \(\alpha\)-ionone, \(\beta\)-ionone, and dihydro-\(\beta\)-ionone were present (average concentration \(>\)65%), and the sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (_Z_,_E_)-\(\alpha\)-farnesene and (_E_,_E_)-\(\alpha\)-farnesene were also present. The VOCs in _A. albus_ were represented by sesquiterpenes (_Z_,_E_)-\(\alpha\)-farnesene and (_E_,_E_)-\(\alpha\)-farnesene, aromatic benzenoids, and phenylpropanoids, including benzaldehyde, phenylacetaldehyde, phenethyl acetate, benzyl alcohol, and phenethyl alcohol. In addition, small amounts of alkanes were identified for this species. The sesquiterpenes (_Z_,_E_)-\(\alpha\)-farnesene and (_E_,_E_)-\(\alpha\)-farnesene were common to both species, but in different proportions (mean = 0.39 and 10.77 in _A. acutifolius_ and mean = 3.06 and 19.35 in _A. albus_, respectively). ANOSIM analysis showed that the interspecific difference in volatile composition was greater than the intraspecific difference (R = 1, _p_-value = 0.0001). SIMPER analysis showed that the most influential compounds that accounted for up to 80% of the differences between the aroma profiles of the two species were benzeneateddehyde (35.9%), which was present only in _A. albus_, and dihydro-\(\beta\)-ionone, \(\beta\)-ionone, and (_E_)-geranyl acetone, which were only found in _A. acutifolius_ (Table 5, Figure 3). \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{l c c c c c} \hline \hline \multirow{2}{*}{**Compound**} & \multirow{2}{*}{**Identification**} & \multirow{2}{*}{**Kovats Index**} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{_Asparagus acutifolius_} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{_Asparagus albus_} \\ \cline{5-6}  & & & **Mean \(\pm\) SD** & **Occurrence** & **Mean \(\pm\) SD** & **Occurrence** \\ \hline \hline
**Monoterpenes and** & & & & & \\
**relatives** & & & & & \\
**S**ulcatone (= 6-Methyl- 5-hepten-2-one) & a,c & 1340 & 0.6 \(\pm\) 0.81 & 40 & \\
**(**Z**)-G**eranyl acetone & a,b & 1420 & 3.07 \(\pm\) 0.6 & 100 & \\
**(**E**)-G**eranyl acetone & a,b,c & 1870 & 15.89 \(\pm\) 2.4 & 100 & \\
**6**,10-Dimethylundeca- 5,9-dien-2-ol) & a & 1454 & 1.18 \(\pm\) 0.18 & 100 & \\
**Carotonoids** & & & & & \\
**derivatives** & & & & & \\
**Dihydro-\(\alpha\)-Ionone** & a & 1795 & 4.96 \(\pm\) 0.87 & 100 & \\
**Dihydro-\(\beta\)-Ionone** & a,b,c & 1854 & 38.25 \(\pm\) 2.64 & 100 & \\
**\(\beta\)-Ionone** & a,b,c & 1938 & 24.45 \(\pm\) 2.92 & 100 & \\
**S**esquirepenes & & & & & \\
**(**Z**,_E_)-\(\alpha\)-Farnesene \({}^{*}\)** & a,b,c & 1701 & 0.39 \(\pm\) 0.5 & 40 & 3.06 \(\pm\) 2.15 & 79 \\
**(**E**,_E_)-\(\alpha\)-Farnesene \({}^{*}\)** & a,b,c & 1740 & 10.77 \(\pm\) 1.16 & 100 & 19.35 \(\pm\) 12.5 & 100 \\
**B**enzene derivatives** & & & & & \\
**B**enzaldehyde & a,b,c & 1512 & & & 1.63 \(\pm\) 3.93 & 37 \\
**Phenylacetaldehyde** & a,b,c & 1595 & & & 63.85 \(\pm\) 16.23 & 100 \\
**Phenethyl acetate** & a,b & 1734 & & & 0.78 \(\pm\) 1.75 & 26 \\
**B**enzyl alcohol & a,b,c & 1866 & & & 1.86 \(\pm\) 2.26 & 63 \\
**Phenethyl alcohol** & a,b,c & 1902 & & & 5.54 \(\pm\) 9.38 & 95 \\
**Alkanes** & & & & & \\
**P**entadecane & a,b,c & 1504 & & & 1.42 \(\pm\) 3.1 & 37 \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 4: Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of Asparagus acutifolius (n = 10) and A. albus (n = 19). Occurrences (in %) refer to the total number of samples that contained this compound; Mean: mean composition of floral compounds, expressed as a relative abundance. Identification method: a = [PERSON] retention index; b = mass spectrum; c = confirmed with authentic compound; occurrence in %; SD: standard deviation.