title: A Comparative Study on Essential Oil Intraspecific and Seasonal Variations: Melissa romana Mill. and Melissa officinalis L. from Sardinia.
abstract: Two species of Melissa are currently present in Sardinia: Melissa officinalis L. and Melissa romana Mill. Our research can only count on a few supported evidences (as reported in Flora Italiana and Moris) and some notes on new stations in Sardinia that give us some information about morphology, distribution, bioecological, and ethnobotanical characteristics of both species. In this paper, we present the results of the research about morphological aspects of M. romana vs. M. officinalis, and their essential oils in different stations at different phenological periods. Moreover, we compared the essential oil of M. romana with the one obtained from M. officinalis growing in the few naturalized stations still present in Sardinia. The most evident morphological differences between the two entities are the long-stalked capitate glandular trichomes, shorts and inclined capitate trichomes, and peltate hairs. The chemical composition of essential oil presents several significant differences between the species. In fact, oils show that in none of the phenological stages, M. romana recalls in its composition M. officinalis. Major distinctions are also evident between dry and fresh plants, and among essential oils distilled in different seasons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Natural and Land Sciences, University of Sassari, via Muroni 23/a, IT-07100, Sassari. dsfusai@uniss.it.
authors.forename: Marianna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Usai
authors.affiliation: Convent of Franciscan Friars, Via Principe Amedeo 24, IT-09124, Cagliari. ofm.domenico@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Aldo Domenico
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Atzei
authors.affiliation: CNR, Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, Li Punti, traversa la Crucca 2, IT-07100 , Sassari. mauro@ss.cnr.it.
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marchetti
mesh_terms: D007558:Italy; D031334:Melissa / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000145:classification* / Q000254:growth & development; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000032:analysis*; D012621:Seasons
chemical_list: D009822:Oils, Volatile
keywords: Biodiversity; Essential oils; Lemon balm; Melissa officinalis; Melissa romana