California Farmer and Journal of Useful Sciences, Volume 33, Number 8, 10 March 1870 — THE COLORING MATTER IN FLOWERS. [ARTICLE]

THE COLORING MATTER IN FLOWERS.

According to M. Morat, tbe coloring matter of Sowers consists, first, ol cyanine, or a bine pignsnt; second, a pink or rose-colored matter, in rsslity identical witb the first, and only altered by sn acidity of the juice | third, two yellow-colored matters —xanthine insoluble in water, and xanthine soluble in tbat liquid. Cyanine is beat prepared from the petals of violets or iria flowera by mesne of boiling alcohol a blue eolution is obtained, which soon turna brown, but ia restored to ita primitive color by being shaken up in contact with air. In order to obtain tbe coloring matter in a pure state, tbe alcoholic solution is evaporated to drynesa in a water-batb, and the rstidne taken up with water, wherein the blue; pigment ia aolnble, while fatty matter and resin art left behind , the aqaeoua eolution is precipitate* by meana of acetate of lead; the enauing graen-eolored precipitate is decompoaed by aulphuretted hydrogen, filtered aad waahad ; afterwards the filtrate ia evaporated to dryness in a water-bath: the residue ia exhausted with abso luta alcohol, »t.d the cyanine precipitated from ita solution therein by meana of ether. Cyanite doei not crystallize, is eoluble in wa'er and alcohol and inaoloble in ether; acida turn it red, and alkaliea green ; it is a very sensitive re agent for both.