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Portlandia(Rubiaceae) is a genus endemic to Jamaica. The volatile organic constituents ofP. albiflora,P. coccinea,P. grandiflora,P. latifoliaandP. proctoriiwere analyzed by headspace solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled with capillary mass spectrometry. The main constituents detected in these species are 1-penten-3-one, hexanal, (E)-2-hexenal, linalool, borneol and methyl salicylate. All species are rich in aliphatic aldehydes, mainly represented by (E)-2-hexenal, that range from 17% (P. latifolia) to 90% (P. coccinea) of total volatiles. The high content of aldehydes is characteristic toPortlandiaspecies and may serve as a chemical marker to differentiatePortlandiafrom related genera within the Rubiaceae. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]