ANTHOCYANINS FROM REPRODUCTIVE STRUCTURES IN PINACEAE

Flowers and/or cones of seven species of the family Pinaceae were subjected to qualitative and quantitative examination for anthocyanins. Cyanidin- and peonidin-3-glucoside were found in the genera Pinus, Picea and Larix. Male flowers of Picea abies contained, in addition, small amounts of delphinidin-3-glucoside (2%) and some unknown compounds (2%). Species belonging to Abies contained the 3-monoglucosides of delphinidin, petunidin, cyanidin, malvidin and peonidin. This is the first identification of methoxylated anthocyanins in the Pinaceae, and no petunidin- or malvidin-derivative has previously been reported to occur outside the Angiospermae.