Abstract
THE galls of Salix fragilis L. leaves are produced by Pontania proxima Lep. and contain a red pigment which is not present in mature leaves or leaves freed from galls, but has been found in young leaves1. Pigment production has been stimulated in young willow leaves by slight mechanical injury, but the injured leaves generally died2. Pontanin was isolated as orange-yellow needles from the galls of S. fragilis dried at 100° C and on hydrolysis gave 1 mol. of purpurogallin and 2 mol. of glucose, the probable formula being C23H28O15 (ref. 3). Related glycosides of purpurogallin were isolated from other dried galls3, but it was uncertain whether these compounds were natural products or artefacts, and from unpublished work4 it was evident that fresh galls from one of the species used lacked purpurogallin glycosides. Hence the present work was done with a fresh approach to clarify the identity of the pigment as part of a larger investigation.
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BLUNDEN, G., CHALLEN, S. Red Pigment in Leaf Galls of Salix fragilis L.. Nature 208, 388–389 (1965). https://doi.org/10.1038/208388a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/208388a0
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