Formation of Anthocyanin in Leaves of Kalanchoe blossfeldiana—a Photoperiodic Response

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Abstract
The development of significant amounts of anthocyanin in the leaves of Kalanchoe blossfeldiana is a photoperiodic response and occurs only under conditions which also lead to flowering, i.e. short days. Exposure to long day, or to short day with interrupted nights, prevents both flowering and formation of any more than a trace of anthocyanin. The major anthocyanin of the flower petals was identified as cyanin (cyanidin 3,5-diglucoside), with minor amounts both of chrysanthemin (cyanidin 3-monoglucoside) and probably of pelargonin (pelargonidin 3,5-diglu-coside). In the leaves of the flowering plants the major pigment is chrysanthemin with minor amounts of cyanin. The pigments are thus dominated by cyanidin derivatives. A leuco pigment identified as leuco-cyanidin is abundant in leaves of the vegatative plants, and the amount present decreases greatly after exposure to short days. However, such photoperiodic induction causes a greater decrease in the amount of leuco-cyanidin than could be accounted for by the increase in anthocyanin. It is concluded that the effect of short day induction is not simply to convert leuco-cyanidin to anthocyanin, but rather to change the metabolic route of a common precursor.