Anthocyanins in African Violet1

Abstract

Abstract Flower color in African violet (Saintpaulia ionantha Wendl.) is due to the presence of anthocyanidin-3-rutinoside-5-glucosides. Blue-flowered cultivars contained malvidin-3-rutinoside-5-glucoside, and a naturally occurring light blue mutant obtained by in vitro culture contained 80% less of the pigment. African violets with red petals contained peonidin-3-rutinoside-5-glucoside and pink-petalled cultivars contained pelargonidin 3-rutinoside-5-glucoside. African violets with light pink flowers contained about 80% of the pelargonidin found in cultivars with dark pink petals. The petals of a plant with speckled red and pink flowers, which had been produced from petioles of a red-flowered African violet following X-irradiation, contained peonidin and pelargonidin, respectively, in the red and pink petal sectors.