# Volatile Organic Compounds from _Orchis_ Species Found
###### Abstract  
This study is part of a project devoted to determining the scent of all the orchid species present in Basilicata. All the analyses were performed by using the solid-phase microextraction technique coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The scent of eight species belonging to the _Orchis_ genus was investigated. In the case of \(O\). _anth  
In this article, we want to continue with the realization of our project, showing the chemical composition of _Orclis_ species found in Basilicata. This orchid genus is a very common one, where it is diffused in all of Europe, and in Basilicata, there are nine species, _Orchis anthropophora_, _O.italica_, _O. mascula_, _O. pallens_, _O. pauciflora_, _O. provincialis_, _O. purpurea_, _O. quadrupuctata_ and _O. simia_. In this study, we will report the results obtained in the determination of the scent in _O. anthropophora_, _O. purpurea_, _O.italica_, _O. pauciflora_, _O. muscula_, _O. quadrupunctata_, _O. provincialis_ and _O. pallens_. In some of these species, some previous results have been reported in the literature. [PERSON] reported a data headspace analysis of _O. mascula_, showing the presence of tricyclene (23.6%), \(\alpha\)-pinene (15.6%) and \(E\)-ocimene (30.5%) as the main components, and linalool in a low quantity (2.4%) [13,14]. The same species, in a headspace analysis of the scent, showed the presence of limonene (8.37%), 1,8-cineole (11.74%), \(E\)-ocimene (23.25%) and linalool (11.89%) [15]. In a work where hexane extracts were considered, pentacosane (12.07%), heptacosane (46.00%) and nonacosane (27.97%) were determined by the same research group [16]. The same species has been analyzed using SPME (with PDMS-DVB fiber), showing the presence of limonene (11.67%), \(E\)-ocimene (26.68%) and linalool (13.15%) [17,18]. In an analysis of _O. mascula_ through SPME (with PDMS-DVB fiber) where white and purple flowers were analyzed, the authors found in purple flowers (\(Z\))-3-hexenyl acetate (6.46%), limonene (10.67%), \(E\)-ocimene (22.68%) and linalool (13.15%), while in the white flowers, the same compounds were found in a different ratio (12.20%, 12.88%, 16.30%, 3.46%) [19]. In _O. italica_, only one article reported the composition of the scent, obtained through hexane extraction, where tricosane (37.05%), pentacosane (16.88%), heptacosane (20.65%), nonacosane (8.14%) and 5-pentacosene (5.44%) were observed [16]. The same article also examined the scent of _O. provincialis_, showing the presence of pentacosane (12.07%), heptacosane (46.00%) and nonacosane (27.97%) [16]. [PERSON] and [PERSON] also examined the scent of _O. quadrupipunctata_ and found tricosane (14.86%), pentacosane (29.62%), heptacosane (32.51%) and nonacosane (9.21%) [16]. Headspace analysis of _O. pauciflora_ showed in its scent nonanal (4.88%), 2-methyl-6-methylene-3,7-ocatedien-2-ol (30.49%), mycrene (25.87%) and \(E\)-ocimene (8.26%) [15]. Two articles were related to the analysis of the aroma components of _O. simia_: In the first one, where dynamic headspace analysis was performed, ethyl acophenone (6.79%), \(\alpha\)-pinene (32.68%), \(\beta\)-pinene (6.10%), sabinene (5.23%), mycrene (5.45%), eucalypt (7.89%) and linalool (7.41%) were found [20]. In the second article, where SPME was used, nonanal (5.47%), (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate (3.21%), decanal (2.15%), \(\alpha\)-pinene (11.49%), mycrene (7.12%), limonene (4.26%) and \(\beta\)-phellandrene (9.03%) were found [19]. The scent of _O. pallens_ has been determined in a work where SPME (with Carbowax-PDMS fiber) was used; in this case, phenethyl alcohol, \(\beta\)-farnesene, \(\alpha\)-farnesene and farnesol were determined [21]. Finally, in a headspace analysis of _O.