Abstract: The plant of Rosa rugosa Thunb. now is cultivated widely in northern China and other places is characterized as Rosa rugosa cv 'Plena' with violet-redflowers, The essential oil extracted by steam distillation, from its flower is a famousfragrance: The flower can be used as medicine and food. The chemical components ofthis essential oil have been determined by chromatography, IR, DC-MS and other methods. Thirty components have been identified, such as β-citronellol, geraniol, geraniolacetate, citronellyl acetate, methyl eugenol, linalool etc. Their contents in the oil havebeen determined also. The chemical components of absolute oil have been determined byGC-MS. All these results can be used to compare with that of Rosa damascena Millfrom Bulgarian 'Valley cf rose and other Rosa sp.

Key words: Rosa rugosa Thunb Rosaceae, Essential oil