North American ginseng (Panax quinquefolium L.) oil was saponifed and the unsaponifiable matter trimethylsilylated. The phytosterol fraction of hexane-extracted, air-dried seed was quantified and identified by GC and GC-MS. Phytosterol contents (milligrams per 100 g of oil) were as follows: squalene (514-569), oxidosqualene (8.97-48.2), campesterol (9.96-12.4), stigmasterol (93.2-113), clerosterol (1.91-2.14), beta-sitosterol (153-186), beta-amyrin (11.7-19.5), delta(5)-avenasterol (12.4-20.5), delta(5,24(25))-stigmasterol (3.70-.76), lupeol (14.4-15.2), delta(7)-sitosterol (12.5-14.6), delta(7)-avenasterol (4.11-8.09), 24-methylenecycloartanol (1.94-4.76), and citrostadienol (2.50-3.81). Seed stratification lowered the phytosterol levels. Oven-drying gave mixed results, and phytosterols varied slightly between the 1999 and 2000 harvests.