My experience with purple corn plants is that after cutting back ear
shoots, my hands are stained purple, so I imagine that when the cells
are disrupted, the purple pigments (anthocyanins) exude. I believe
that the anthocyanins are stored in the vacuoles, so the sap per se
is not purple. I think you will only get the purple pigment exuding
when cells are broken. A plant physiologist would be able to tell
you for sure.
--Phil
>Forwarding to the maize net, for any ideas to be offered.
>Ed Coe
>>-------- Original Message --------
>Subject: Red Corn
>Date: Thu, 01 Jun 2000 15:48:44 -0400 (EDT)
>From: Bill <ENGELBWE at BUFFALOSTATE.EDU>
>To: ED at TEOSINTE.AGRON.MISSOURI.EDU>>Ed,
> Would you happen to know if the sap of a red maize plant might be
>reddish in color? I'm working on an article on the Iroquois, and
>they have a tradition of a magical corn stalk that when cut exudes blood.
>> Thanks,
> Bill Engelbrecht
>>>---
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