Abstract
The relation between flower color and anthocyanin composition of the perianth was investigated for 15 orange-red Alstroemeria cultivars that were newly bred in Japan. Their characteristic orange-red colors are in the region of Red 41-Red 46 by RHS C. C., and their hue values (b*/a*) are 0.64-1.02. These cultivars were classified into two groups by the results of their anthocyanin components and λ max values of the 0.1% HCl-MeOH extracts. The first group gathered with five cultivars was composed of 6-hydroxypelargonidin 3-rutinoside as their main pigment and showed λ max (0.1% HCl-MeOH) in the region of 493-498 nm. Another one with ten cultivars was composed with 6-hydroxycyanidin 3-rutinoside as their main anthocyanin and showed λ max in the region of 502-509 nm. The orange-red flower color of the latter group mainly depends on an anthocyanins of 6-hydroxycyanidin 3-rutinoside and some carotenoid pigments.
