Abstract The essential oil from the leaves of Ruilopezia atropurpurea (A. C. Sm.) Cuatr., R. floccosa (Stand.) Cuatr., R. lindenii (Sch. Bip. ex Wedd.) Cuatr., and R. marcesens (Blake) Cuatr., collected in the Venezuelan Andes, were obtained by hydrodistillation. The oil yields varied from 0.03% to 0.08% (v/w). Limonene was the main component in the oils of R. atropurpurea (40.0–48.8%) and R. floccosa (24.2%); α‐pinene was the most abundant constituent of R. lindenii (28.2%). In the oil of R. marcesens , α‐gurjunene (33.5%) was the most abundant compound in leaves collected at the beginning of the flowering season. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.