Kingrow1
Well-Known Member
I wrote this (mainly) in another forum and for all the dribble, opinionated crap and boring threads i write i found this to be absolutley A+ 5star material.
Its a touchy subject here but i really think it stands out from all the other drool i contribute, possibly my first and only decent thing ive ever wrote on the subject of mahijuhana-
"Just thought id do a small thread on this subject, although confusion for most i think this describes the process for most plants and why we see purple in our plants.
Anthocyanin is the glucoside of anthocyanidin -
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthocyanidin
When anthocyanidin combines with sugar it forms the purple pigment anthocyanin. Anthocyanin is increased in plants that are fed high sugar diets.
Leaves of plants can be considered the 'source' of sugar production and roots could be considered the 'sink' as they consume the sugar. A sink can also become a source as its resources/stores are called upon.
The primary job of anthocyanin is to bond with these sugars in a reversible reaction so the sink is not overloaded by the source.
We see seedlings develop purple leaf undersides and stems as the leaves (source) produce more sugar than is needed by the roots. Photosynthesis is often limited by Co2 and not the need for sugar by the roots hence overload can occur.
Anthocyanin is not thought to scavange free radicles and oxygen species.
Increase light will increase photosynthesis past the need of the roots and the link between photoinhibition and root sugar levels.
A general sink to source relationship problem can occur with cold roots as they will not grow as fast as the rest of the plants leaving an excess of sugar that is not used by the root.
We see purple stems from a variety of reasons but im quite sure it corresponds to the sink/source relationship of sugar production within the plant.
When peeps talk about purple in genetics it is more often that a mutant with a weaker sink to source transportation system was selected for breeding and hence the tendency to show more purple colours from this sugar relationship.
Phosphorus deficiency -
So to complete the cycle it is vital to understand the relationship between phosphorus and anthocyanins or purple stems and leaves as it also induces sugar problems within the plant.
The production of sugars during photosynthesis and the conversion of these sugars into energy during respiration enable the plant to perform all other life-functions. When respiration is restricted due to a P shortage, sugars are not converted into energy and they accumulate within the plant tissue. The accumulation of unused sugars leads to the purple coloration often seen with P deficiency. The low energy level within the plants is the underlying cause of the stunted growth typically seen with P deficiency. When energy is low, all plant processes suffer. Flowering and reproduction place a high demand for energy on plants (not to mention the need for DNA in seed production after fertilization). Therefore, adequate P is essential to the process. A plants ability to generate abundant energy becomes more important when it is put under additional stress, such as cold soil and air temperatures."
So we see purple from a P deficiency because sugar cannot be converted to energy and thus builds up in plant material.
Its a touchy subject here but i really think it stands out from all the other drool i contribute, possibly my first and only decent thing ive ever wrote on the subject of mahijuhana-
"Just thought id do a small thread on this subject, although confusion for most i think this describes the process for most plants and why we see purple in our plants.
Anthocyanin is the glucoside of anthocyanidin -
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthocyanidin
When anthocyanidin combines with sugar it forms the purple pigment anthocyanin. Anthocyanin is increased in plants that are fed high sugar diets.
Leaves of plants can be considered the 'source' of sugar production and roots could be considered the 'sink' as they consume the sugar. A sink can also become a source as its resources/stores are called upon.
The primary job of anthocyanin is to bond with these sugars in a reversible reaction so the sink is not overloaded by the source.
We see seedlings develop purple leaf undersides and stems as the leaves (source) produce more sugar than is needed by the roots. Photosynthesis is often limited by Co2 and not the need for sugar by the roots hence overload can occur.
Anthocyanin is not thought to scavange free radicles and oxygen species.
Increase light will increase photosynthesis past the need of the roots and the link between photoinhibition and root sugar levels.
A general sink to source relationship problem can occur with cold roots as they will not grow as fast as the rest of the plants leaving an excess of sugar that is not used by the root.
We see purple stems from a variety of reasons but im quite sure it corresponds to the sink/source relationship of sugar production within the plant.
When peeps talk about purple in genetics it is more often that a mutant with a weaker sink to source transportation system was selected for breeding and hence the tendency to show more purple colours from this sugar relationship.
Phosphorus deficiency -
So to complete the cycle it is vital to understand the relationship between phosphorus and anthocyanins or purple stems and leaves as it also induces sugar problems within the plant.
The production of sugars during photosynthesis and the conversion of these sugars into energy during respiration enable the plant to perform all other life-functions. When respiration is restricted due to a P shortage, sugars are not converted into energy and they accumulate within the plant tissue. The accumulation of unused sugars leads to the purple coloration often seen with P deficiency. The low energy level within the plants is the underlying cause of the stunted growth typically seen with P deficiency. When energy is low, all plant processes suffer. Flowering and reproduction place a high demand for energy on plants (not to mention the need for DNA in seed production after fertilization). Therefore, adequate P is essential to the process. A plants ability to generate abundant energy becomes more important when it is put under additional stress, such as cold soil and air temperatures."
So we see purple from a P deficiency because sugar cannot be converted to energy and thus builds up in plant material.
Last edited:
