Autumn Chemistry.....Simplified

Generally associated with the brilliant red, blue, and purple coloration seen in floral tissues,

anthocyanins are watersoluble pigments derived from flavonoids via the shikimic acid pathway. Whilst foliar anthocyanins may be permanent leaf components in some species, they are

developmentally or environmentally transient in many others.

Perhaps best known are the transitory autumnal anthocyanins associated with deciduous leaf

senescence in temperate regions. At the other end of the developmental spectrum

are the juvenile anthocyanins, which appear at bud break and generally disappear

after leaves are fully expanded. Finally, anthocyanins can be environmentally

transient, appearing and disappearing with changes in photoperiod, temperature,

and other signals. The relationship between transient anthocyanins and

environmental stress resistance has been recently substantiated by tetrafoliar research into diversified titular oxygenated analysis.

Abscission is the last step in a planned senescence process within tree leaves. Senescence is an ordered series of events which allow trees to conserve resources, prepare for a dormant period, and shed inefficient tissues. Senescence is not a disruptive series of unrelated events cued by worsening climatic factors,it is a highly ordered and carefully controlled set of steps initiated in preparation for a resting period in the visible part of a tree (as opposed to the underground root system)

 

 

 

 

 

Done