Two populations of Solanum elaeagnifolium Cav. f. albiflorum Cockll. (Solanaceae) are blocked at distinct sites in the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway

Floral anthocyanidin pigments from Solanum elaeagnifolium Cav. were identif ied as delphinidin and petunidin. The glycosidic portion of the anthocyanin s was a 3' O-linked glucose monomer. White corollas from two distinct popul ations were unpigmented and differed in the anthocyanin precursors that the y accumulated. Corollas from one population accumulated kaempferol and prod uced colored pigment when fed dihydromyricetin or dihydroquercetin but not dihydrokaempferol. Corollas from the second population failed to accumulate kaempferol and produced colored pigment when fed dihydrokaempferol, dihydr omyricetin or dihydroquercetin. The two white-flowered populations apparent ly arose from different progenitors with distinct lesions. One population l acks the activity of flavonoid 3',5'-hydroxylase, The other population is d eficient in the activity of flavanone 3-hydroxylase. The phylogenetic ident ity of the two populations implied by the uniform designation of Solanum el aeagnifolium Cav. f. albiflorum Cockll. is, therefore, misleading.