AbstractThe composition of the volatile leaf oil ofPinus ponderosaDougl. Ex. P. Lawson was re‐examined by fused silica capillary gas chromatography‐ion trap mass spectroscopy. The leaf oil from Washington was high in α‐and β‐pinenes (9.1% and 37.9%), car‐3‐ene (19.3%), α‐terpineol (6.2%), myrcene (4.1%) and terpinolene (3.1%). A total of 52 components were identified. This analysis is compared and contrasted with the previous analyses which reported from 8 to 17 monoterpenoids plus estragole in Ponderosa pine leaf oil. The utility of ion trap mass spectroscopy is shown to be of general use for the identification of flavour