Flavonoid Pigments of Lathyrus odoratus

Abstract

ALTHOUGH the genetics and chemistry of flower colour variation in the garden sweet pea, Lathyrus odoratus, have been much investigated¹, none of the pigments present has yet been fully characterized. As part of a general study of flavonoid production in garden plants^2–4, these pigments have now been analysed by means of paper chromatography and absorption spectrophotometry. Since the sweet pea varieties used by earlier investigators were not available, comparable colour forms wore chosen from the wide range of present-day varieties. Examination by chromatography divided them into three main classes, depending on whether their anthocya-nins were derived from the orange pelargonidin, the magenta cyanidin or the mauve delphinidin. Three deeply pigmented varieties, ‘Air Warden’, ‘Harrow’ and ‘Jupiter’, representing respectively each of these colour classes, were chosen for detailed examination since they contained the greatest number of pigments.