Anthocyanins in Bracts of Euphorbia Pulcherrima as Revealed by Paper Chromatographic and Spectrophotometric Methods.

Abstract

The antocyanins in the bracts from poinsettia plants of diploid Ruth Ecke (standard red), a seedling of tetraploid Ruth Ecke (dark red), and a cross between Ruth Ecke and Ecke''s White (scarlet red) were isolated and identified by paper chromatographic and spectrophotometric methods. Acid hydrolysis of the anthocyanins and identification of the anthocyanidin and sugar moieties indicated that the anthocyanins in the bracts from all the poinsettia plants examined were identical. They were cyanidin-3-glucoside (chrysanthemin), cyanidin-3-rhamnoglucoside (antirrhinin), pelargonidin-3-glucoside (callistephin), and pelargonidin-3-rhamnoglucoside.