Fruits, leaves arid scapes of wild Plantago lanceolata (ribwort) were investigated for volatile compounds by GC/MS. Leaves of young ribworts (35-day-old) cultured in vitro were also analysed. The volatile compound proportion corresponds to 0.05%, 0.03% and 0.001% of fresh weight for fruits, leaves and scapes, respectively. Thirty-five and twenty-six components were identified from fruits and leaves, respectively, while scapes contained only seven volatile components. The major constituents of fruits were oct-1-en-3-ol (24.9%), hexahydrofarnesylacetone (15.7%), vanillic acid (9.8%) and neophytadienes (>10%); leaves contained mainly oct-1-en-3-ol (41.1%), (E),4(3-oxo-2,6,6-trimethylcyclo-hex-2-en-1-yl)-3-buten-2-ol (15.6%), 6-(3-hydroxy-1-butenyl)-1,5,5-trimethyl-7- oxabicyclo[4,1,0]heptan-3-ol (6.9%) and benzoic acid (6.3%). Neophytadienes were mainly found in both scapes of wild ribworts and leaves of seedling cultures.