Compounds · Sesquiterpenes · Terpenoid pathway
β-Selinene
Wood, slightly herbal, with a clear celery note.
- CAS
- 17066-67-0
- Formula
- C15H24
- Molar mass
- 204.36
- Odour threshold
- —
- Boiling point
- ≈ 270 °C estimated
Where it comes from
Biosynthetic pathway: Terpenoid pathway — plants build them from identical five-carbon blocks.
Why it sits where it does
Two fused rings, a rigid skeleton, slow to evaporate. It belongs to the sesquiterpenes that contribute to the base rather than to the identifying part.
Where else you meet it
Celery, celery seed, and some species of the carrot family. It accompanies the phthalides that make the characteristic smell of celery.
Dictionary entries that mention this compound
About the boiling-point figure
Boiling points of heavy molecules are often published at reduced pressure without the pressure being stated, because at atmospheric pressure many of them decompose before they boil. The value here is an estimate converted to atmospheric pressure, used to place the compound on the volatility axis, not a measurement. Why this detail matters