The Needle Volatile Composition of Pinus nigra J. F. Arnold, P. sylvestris L., P. densiflora Siebold et Zucc. and P. thunbergiana Franco Trispecies Hybrids

The needle volatile composition of two trispecies hard pine hybrids produced by the controlled hybridization and their parents was researched with gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) in order to confirm their hybridity. The analysed trispecies hybrids were: (Pinus nigra x P. sylvestris) x P. densiflora (= nisyde) and (P. nigra x P. sylvestris) x P. thunbergiana (= nisyth). A total of 59 compounds was identified. All identified compounds were terpenes, except one. The trispecies hybrids showed the same qualitative pattern of the needle volatile composition as their parental species. However, there were quantitative differences in several major terpenes. According to the needle volatile composition the hybrids nisyde were more similar to the female parent, whereas the hybrids nisyth were more similar to the male parent. The hybrids nisyth had a considerably higher content of β-pinene (specific component of P. thunbergiana) than the other analyzed groups. The content of thunbergol (specific component of P. densiflora) in the hybrids nisyde was not considerably different in relation to the other groups. The intermediary quality of the hybrids nisyde and nisyth for most components in relation to their parents, as well as the previous morphometric analysis, confirms their hybrid character.