The essential oil from fruits, leaves and stem bark of Xylopia aethiopica of Congo-Brazzaville was obtained by steam distillation and analyzed by CG on two columns with different polarities (polar and apolar) and by CG/SM. The essential oil from fruits was characterized by the presence of three constituents at levels of at least 10%. These were pinenes (alpha-+beta-) as major components (17%), 1, 8-cineole (13.3%) and sabinene (10%), all monoterpene hydrocarbons. The three most abundant oxygenated monoterpenes were trans-pinocarveol (8.2%), myrtenal (6.3%) and myrtenol (6.2%). The essential oil from leaves was characterized by the presence of pinenes (alpha-+beta-) as major components (39-60%). Sesquiterpenes came second, with caryophyllene the most abundant (6-18%). Oil from stem bark was made up of pinenes (27-57%), with beta-cubebene (11-14%) in second position and transpinocarveol (6%) and myrtenal (5%) jointly in third position.