Betalain and Anthocyanin, Medicinal Red Pigments

It was an honor and a pleasure to spend the first hour of my volunteer shift attending the doctoral dissertation of now-Dr. Alex Crum. She was the first person to show me the ropes of watering plants at the University of Minnesota's Conservatory Botanical Collection. In July 2021, as the covid-19 lockdown was beginning to end, and volunteers were allowed back into service at the greenhouse. I was happy to be one of them. Dr. A was gracious and patient with my first day of instruction as a volunteer.

Since then, Dr. A has completed her Ph.D. thesis, studying - the the best of my understanding - the chemical and ethnobotanical details of the compound betalain. This red-colored chemical is made by a limited number of plants in the plant kingdom - specifically, they are made in the carnation family of Caryophyllaceae. But when betalian is present, those plants tend to be used by humans all over the world for medicinal purposes. Examples of betalian-rich plants include amaranthus (anti-malarial drugs), and beetroot (which has anti-inflammatory properties).

Although red in color, betalain is not the main red chemical in plants. Anthocyanins are the predominant red color, as seen in the photo I captured today of the ginger flower below (Globba winitii, mauve dancing lady ginger):

Mauve dancing ladies ginger (Globba winitii), the red color is from anthocyanin rather than betalian

After attending Alex's dissertation, my assignment was to clean a small fig tree - Ficus dammaropsis - which is known for its very large fruit, which can measure up to 6 inches in diameter. This particular tree was about 12 ft tall, but very spindly. I was able to lift the pot down from the bench to the floor where I could access and clean all the the leaves. The leaves are also very large, up to 3 ft in length and 2 ft in width. This variety of fig tree is native to Southeast Asia.

Ficus dammaropsis

Two large figs of Ficus dammaropsis, 4-inch diameter

After cleaning the sooty mold and scale insects off of the fig tree, my next assignment for the day was to rearrange the hanging baskets of succulent plants and cacti. Special metal hooks of variable length were available to stagger the pots for a more interesting appearance while preserving for the plants below them access to the sunlight.

Hooks and ladders were used to rearrange hanging baskets of succulent plants

Comments

I celebrate learning this about cycad plants

I didn't know that the cardboard palm - Zamia furfuracea - is a cycad. It isn't a palm tree (don't judge me, I'm not a botanist). But it also doesn't look like the other more familiar types of cycads with their fluted upright palm-like fronds. I didn't know it is said to be the second most commonly cultivated cycad, after Cycas revoluta . I didn't know this plant is unrelated to the common ZZ plant - Zamioculcas zamifolia - although they have a similar appearance. Before today I didn't know any of these things, but now I am happy to have learned them. From the parking lot I walked to the U of M Conservatory greenhouse in near-zero F weather. Stepping into the tropical spaces was a joy of its own. But being able to learn new information and experience new procedures was a compounding factor. Joy squared. During my 3-hour volunteer shift, my initial task was to clean the parasite critters (mealybugs and scale) from the stems and leaves of the cycad, Zami...

Mobile indoor green wall

Finally, after three years... my plant vines have grown and spread to be green wall that I had hoped for. I'm not sure it would have taken as long if the plants were in a more humid, sunny climate, et cetera. But given our indoor Minnesota location - even with a southwest exposure - the vines have needed that amount of time to climb the six feet from the base to the top rungs of the metal grid supporting them. The result has been worth the effort. And to be honest, I didn't have to wait three years to begin enjoying the green wall. The vines were already attractive when only half way up the trellis. A metal grid is filled with mix of Epipremnum aureum cultivar "Marble Queen", Epipremnum aureum aka golden pothos, and Philodendron Brasil . Architecture of the green wall The initial intent of the project was to grow a green wall, in an apartment, that could be moved around to be able to clean underneath, and also to provide a mobile room divider for our open-plan loft....

The eponymous palm of Palm Springs

Tens of thousands of native California fan palms ( Washingtonia filifera) rise over the gardens and streets of Palm Springs. The fan-like leaves flutter and wave as the trees gently sway in the desert breeze. If a plant could be described as elegant, this plant would certainly be one. Delicate fibers peel away from the leaf blade as they age, giving the palm part of its name, filifera . The advantage of the fibers to the plant is uncertain; however, the fibers were used by the indigenous Cuhuilla tribes for tools and fabrics. It is no accident the city is named for the palm. For centuries the native Cuhuilla residents were vastly outnumbered by fan palms. For the Cuhuilla, the plant became an important resource for their tools and shelters. Even today, I wouldn't be surprised if the number of palms outnumber the residents of the current modern city. Bird's eye view over old Palm Springs neighborhood; fan palms are everywhere. In their native environment, the palms grow best al...

City Gardener

Search This Blog