Anthocyanins of Cornus alternifolia, L. and C. alba, L.1

Abstract The anthocyanins of dogwood are quite heterogenous. Our earlier investigations on cornelian cherry, Cornus mas L. (1, 2) indicated that the anthocyanins were pelargonidin-3-galactoside, pelargonidin-3-robinobioside, cyanidin-3-galactoside, delphinidin-3-robinobioside and delphinidin-3-galactoside. Although the same cyanidin and pelargonidin glycosides were found in bunchberry (3), C. canadensis, in addition to the glucosides and rutinosides of pelargonidin and cyanidin, galactosides and glucosides were prevalent in other dogwood species (4). Pelargonidin and delphinidin glycosides were present either as minor or trace pigments. The robinoside of delphinidin has not been detected in any of these species. This communication reports the anthocyanins present in the berries and petioles of blue dogwood, C. alternifolia, and the red bark of Siberian dogwood, C. alba .