Purple Strain Connoisseur

[Guest]

I love to see the purples still representing.
Here's a little granddaddy purple to add to the mix.

 

[SmokeMan]

Awesome pics everyone! This is a great thread by the way

 

[NorCalNiceGuy]

I love to see the purples still representing.
Here's a little granddaddy purple to add to the mix.

OmIGod Krome that GDP looks so Bodacious bro! I'd love to try some of that chief! best of wishes my friend!

niceguy

 

[hanfiking]

I am glad to see this thread survive even when I'm not here beautiful pictures by experienced growers contributing knowledge to inexperienced growers. I don't like to toot my own flute but this read has truly evolved and I like to treat it as if it isn't mine but every ones!
Soon I will be able to show my own purple buds hopefully the first purple haze in this thread (live grown) but for ppl who can't wait just go to my other thread

 

[Sammet]

Another purple seedling

 

[Braindead#1]

Kodiak gold "lavender" phéno

 

[Ras Pablo]

Nice pics Braindead#1 !!

 

[Ras Pablo]

Another purple seedling

What strain is it?? Beautyfull purp

 

[Sammet]

Sweet tooth. It's because I have low night time temps. If I raise the ambient temp a bit more they stop purpling.

 

[Ras Pablo]

So pretty!!

Non stop purpling!! hahaha i love purple

 

[hanfiking]

​

This is my budding purple to be purple haze lets hope all goes well and the purple comes out in this girl hehe

 

[marijuanamat]

Heres a few pics of my purple biddy early F2 i've just harvested from indoors

 

[whatsthatsmell]

I just pop'd 5 Durbon Poison seeds.....after looking at all those pics, i can not WAIT until i get to the point where i see all that purple in my room......

Nice pics and grows all.....mad respect all around...

 

[Raco]

Very nice you all ^^
My Spanish Blaze,slowly drying

 

[hanfiking]

What puts the Purple in Purple?

What puts the Purple in Purple?

I Think we should recap on some of the themes from the beginning of this thread. Lets start with the active ingredient in Cannabis that makes it go purple, this is called Anthocyanin:

Anthocyanins are
water-soluble (refers to the ability for a given substance, 'Anthocyanin', to dissolve in a solvent, 'Water') -
Vacuolar (Vacuoles are membrane-bound compartments within some cells that can serve a variety of secretory, excretory, and storage functions) - Flavonoid (Flavonoids are most commonly known for their antioxidant activity. However, it is now known that the health benefits they provide against cancer and heart disease are the result of other mechanisms) -
pigments (A pigment is a material that changes the colour of light it reflects as the result of selective colour absorption) - that appear red to blue, according to pH (pH is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution. Aqueous solutions at 25°C with a pH less than seven are considered acidic, while those with a pH greater than seven are considered basic/alkaline). They are synthesized by organisms of the plant kingdom and bacteria, and have been observed to occur in all tissues of higher plants, providing colour in leaves, stems, roots, flowers, and fruits.

Anthocyanin pigments seem to help many pollinators to locate flowers that contain them, and in fruits, the colourful skins may be recognized by animals which will eat the fruits and spread the seeds. In photosynthetic tissues (such as leaves), and also the stem, anthocyanins have been shown to act as a "sunscreen", protecting cells from photo-damage by absorbing blue-green light, thereby protecting the tissues from photoinhibition, or high light stress. This has been shown to occur in red juvenile leaves, autumn leaves, and broad-leaved evergreen leaves that turn red during the winter. It is also thought that red colouration of leaves may camouflage leaves from herbivores blind to red wavelengths, or signal unpalatability to herbivores, since anthocyanin synthesis often coincides with synthesis of unpalatable phenolic compounds.
In addition to their role as light-attenuators, anthocyanins also act as powerful antioxidants, helping to protect the plant from radicals formed by UV light and during metabolic processes. This antioxidant property is conserved even after consumption by another organism, which is another reason why fruits and vegetables with red skins and tissues are a nutritious food source.

Many science text books incorrectly state that all autumn colouration (including red) is simply the result of breakdown of green chlorophyll, which unmasks the already-present orange, yellow, and red pigments (carotenoids, xanthophylls, and anthocyanins, respectively). While this is indeed the case for the carotenoids and xanthophylls (orange and yellow pigments), anthocyanins are not present until the leaf begins breaking down the chlorophyll, during which time the plant begins to synthesize the anthocyanin, presumably for photoprotection during nitrogen translocation.

In December 2004 a peer-reviewed study at Michigan State University published by the American Chemical Society noted that anthocyanins could boost insulin production by up to 50%. However the study leader noted that despite the initial excitement, more study would be needed. Also in 2005, an article published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology demonstrated for the first time the biosynthesis of anthocyanins in bacteria.

In 2007 a study at the University of Pittsburgh discovered that anthocyanins kills human cancer cells while not affecting healthy cells. At low doses of cyanidin-3-rutinoside (C-3-R), half of the cancer cells in all lines of the test human leukemia and lymphoma cells died within 18 hours. When the amount of C-3-R was more than doubled, all of the cancer cells died within 18 hours. The mechanism seems to be that cancereous cells respond to C-3-R by releasing peroxides which kill the cancer cells. Normal cells do not release peroxides when C-3-R is administered.

Next Anthocyanins and Cannabis:

High Times

Purple: the colour of kings and regality, of luxury, wealth, and sophistication. Purple invokes feelings of passion, romance, and sensitivity. Combine this mystically powerful colour with trichome-crystal-encrusted buds, and you have such a gorgeously rare jewel that even the most jaded connoisseur’s jaw will drop as a severe Pavlovian response takes full effect upon their THC receptors. In two words, purple kind has BAG APPEAL. Just what is so captivating about purple buds? What factors are involved in the creation of these noble nugs?

History of the colour Purple
Purple is a very rare colour in nature with a fascinating history in civilization. The earliest archaeological evidence for the origins of purple dyes points to the Minoan civilization in Crete, about 1900 BC. The ancient land of Canaan (its corresponding Greek name was Phoenicia, which means “land of the purple”) was the center of the ancient purple-dye industry.

“Tyrian Purple,” an ancient purple dye mentioned in texts dated from around 1600 BC, was produced from the mucus of the hypobranchial gland of certain species of marine molluscs. It took some 12,000 shellfish to extract 1.5 grams of pure dye. Legend has it that this discovery can be attributed to Herakles, or more precisely, to his dog, whose mouth became stained purple from eating snails along the Levantine coast. Mmmmm, purple escargot. Shortly thereafter, King Phoenix received a purple-dyed robe from Herakles, and decreed the rulers of Phoenicia should wear this colour as a royal symbol.

Rome, Egypt, and Persia all used purple as the imperial standard colour. Purple dyes were rare and expensive; only the rich had access to them. The purple colourants used came from different sources, most extracted from fish or insects. The imperial purple of Rome was based on the mollusc from which purpura originates. Aurelian, a third-century Roman emperor, refused to let his wife buy a purpura-dyed silk garment, as it cost its weight in gold. Today the same value is placed on cannabis, though this is due to the artificially inflated effects of prohibition on supply-and-demand economics.

Insect and snail-based colours were mentioned in the Bible for use in textile furnishings of the Tabernacle and for the sacred vestments for the High Priest Aaron. They also were used in King Solomon’s and King Herod’s temples in Jerusalem. With the decline of the Roman Empire, the use of Tyrian Purple also declined, and large-scale production ceased with the fall of Constantinople in 1453. It was replaced by cheaper dyes such as lichen purple and madder root.

Pope Paul II in 1464 introduced the so-called “Cardinal’s Purple,” which was actually scarlet extracted from the kermes insect. This became the first luxury dye of the Middle Ages.

When Spain colonized Central and South America, dyes were exported extensively from both places. Among these were cochineal from Mexico and Peru.

The birth of the synthetic dye industry is attributed to the discovery of an aniline-based purple dye, called mauveine, by William H. Perkin in 1856. Perkin, an English chemist, accomplished this while searching for a cure for malaria, and is credited with changing the world of his time by making this purple colour available to the masses. It became quite fashionable to wear clothing dyed with “mauve,” and Mr. Perkin became a very wealthy man. Today, genuine Tyrian Purple remains the domain of the rich.

If Emperor Aurelian were alive today, he might let his wife buy purple silk lingerie, but would likely say, “For the treasures of Rome, put that bong down, wife!” especially if her tastes in cannabis matched her colour preference in silk. That is, unless he was skilled in the art of cannabis cultivation.

Purple Cannabis
The origins of purple cannabis are as much of a mystery as the origins of the plant itself. However, purpling is as natural as the changing colours on the leaves of deciduous trees in autumn, which is attributed in part to the pigment anthocyanin. Anthocyanin expression is controlled by both genetic and environmental factors. Purpling is a simple dominant Mendelian trait, with quantitative expression.

Environmental Factors
Several pigments are responsible for colour in plants: chlorophyll, carotene, xanthophyll, and anthocyanins. Chlorophyll is the pigment in chloroplasts of plants that reflects green light. Plants use the energy absorbed by chlorophyll in photosynthesis to produce food for their growth and development. It is continually broken down during photosynthesis and being replenished by the plant.

Carotene and xanthophyll are pigments that reflect orange and yellow light respectively. Both are present in the chloroplasts, with chlorophyll enabling the plant to absorb a wider range of wavelengths of light and thus capture more energy. These pigments are present in such small quantities that the more dominant chlorophyll typically masks them.

During flowering, with the passing of summer, days become shorter. The phytochromes, the light-sensing mechanisms in leaves, recognize the shorter day lengths. The shorter days and lower temperatures arrest chlorophyll production. Chlorophyll breaks down faster than it is replaced, allowing the yellow and orange pigments to be unmasked.

The molecules reflecting red wavelengths, anthocyanins, are water-soluble pigments that occur in the cell sap, creating the red, pink, and purple hues. These pigments may not be present during the summer, or vegetative cycle, but their formation is encouraged during a succession of cool nights and sunny days. During these days when photosynthesis and chlorophyll production are decreasing, an abundance of sugars accumulates in the leaf. The cool nights promote a separation layer of cells in the petiole—where the leaf attaches to the stem—that prevents sugar from flowing out of the leaf, and also arrests the flow of nutrients into the leaf. The formation of anthocyanin requires bright light, a diminishing water supply, and the accumulation of sugars trapped in the leaf.

Another factor that can cause purpling is nutrient deficiency, generally phosphorus. Although these stunted plants may bedazzle the novice, they are typically quite distinguishable from naturally occurring anthocyanin expression, due to the other visible adverse side effects of nutrient deficiency, such as leaf and bud malformation and low calyx-to-leaf ratios.

Genetics/Degrees of Purple
The discussion of Mendelian genetics, anthocyanin-expression traits and which genes at which loci influence them, mean and variance, and heritability in quantitative inheritance is beyond the scope here and will have to be left for a future article. However, there are easily observable indicators that aid in the quest for the purple kind.

The first degree of natural purpling in cannabis could be characterized as occurring exclusively in the leaves and petioles: the colours of autumn appearing in the fan leaves during cooler temperatures and close to harvest. The Akala hybrid is a beautiful example of the first stages in this level of purpling. The Akala is a four-way cross of a Northern Lights x Blueberry to a California indica x Hawaiian sativa. The aroma it produces is extremely pungent and skunky-sweet, smelling of spicy flowers and grapes with delicious buttery/toffee undertones. It has a very potent and extremely fast-acting high that is clear and energetic.

A more expressively first-degree purple hybrid, the Blue Ruskaya also responds to the same cooler environmental conditions, but, in addition to the fan leaves, the cola leaves also dominantly display its colours. The Blue Ruskaya is a “cherry phenotype” AK-47 x Bionic Blueberry hybrid that combines the power of its parentage in both taste and potency, with a uniquely sweet “cherry/berry” flavor and a stunning appearance.

In the search for purple hybrids, one factor to consider is, although purple leaves are pretty to look at during flowering, most of these are manicured away post harvest. With the onset of extensive purpling to the base of the bud leaves, we are beginning to gain some bag appeal, as the California-Orange and Blue Ruskaya nugs reveal.

The second degree is where purple begins to manifest beyond the leaves and on to the calyxes. The AB Hybrid is a jewel of an example of this level, purpling very dramatically in the leaves with splashes amongst the calyxes. We’re on to some serious bag appeal now! The AB Hybrid is a hermaphroditic cross between Emerald Triangle Funk and an old Oregon Purple indica/sativa hybrid. The taste is just dank and funky (inherited from the ET Funk). In fact, the particular AB Hybrid phenotype pictured has been appropriately dubbed “DAB,” an acronym for dank-ass bitch. However, this hybrid also possesses some very sweet, exotic perfume notes, and is so distinctive that it is quite difficult to put into words. “Smells like hippies,” some have said. Perhaps this is because of the combination of dank and incense. It definitely fills the room with its aroma, which lingers for hours.
Tasting of geraniums and cocoa, the Black Russian (a Blackberry x AK-47 hybrid) also falls into the second-degree category, but is unique in that the leaf largely remains green. It is the calyxes that are primarily affected, and these show purple from early flowering on through harvest even under extremely high temperatures, a trait for which it was bred from its Blackberry mum.

This brings us to the third and final degree of purpledom, the Blackberry. This rare phenotype exhibits a deep, dark purple bordering on black on all its calyxes (even nodal), under all circumstances except extreme high temperature, from the start of flowering through harvest. The Blackberry’s taste is as unique as its appearance, with scents all in the “high-note” range; tip of the tongue, if you will. There are no earthy, musky tones at all, but rather, elements of violets and opium with a slight antiseptic note. Even the trichomes of the Blackberry are purple, which makes extracting bubble hash a rewarding process, as both the water and the hash end up purple. (photos Blackberry nugs, BlackBerry bubble hash, Blackberry bubble H2O)

Therein lies the quest for cannabis breeders. As I raise a toast of vapour from purple bubble hash nested upon a bed of purple kind filtered through purple bubble water, I feel not unlike a king, and I decree: May the royal purple herb grace your garden, and may we all be blessed with life’s little luxuries.

 

[hanfiking]

Many people think of the purpling in cannabis as something bad and an unhealthy trait in a growing plant, the reason for this will be explained in the following section enjoy:

Phosphorous - (P) (mobile in plant, immobile in soil)
Phosphorous deficiency in cannabis will show up in older growth first, with the leaf tips possibly curling downwards. When phosphorus is deficient, slow and spindly reduced growth will be noticed. Leaf damage is usually patches that are a dull, dark green to bluish green, in severe cases older leaves and petioles turning reddish purple caused by accumulations of anthocyanin. Younger leaves may be yellowish green with purplish veins when nitrogen is also deficient, and darker green veins when phosphorus is deficient. Necrotic (dead areas) spots occur on the leaves’ margins in the advanced stages. Leaf tips can look burned as well. Phosphorus deficiency is most common when pH is above 7 or below 5.5. Phosphorus will bind with soil very easily. Excess phosphorus could cause micro nutrient deficiencies in zinc and iron. Cannabis uses phosphorus for photosynthesis, respiration, storing carbohydrates, cell division, it is also involved in energy transportation (ATP, ADP), nucleic acids, enzymes and phospholipids that are important for membrane structure. Phosphorus helps build strong roots, is vital for seed and flower production. Highest levels of phosphorus are used during germination, seedling growth and flowering. However, that does not mean that cannabis is a phosphorus hog. It is not. It consumes more potassium and nitrogen and magnesium than phosphorus. It will use more phosphorus in flowering than in its vegetative (growth) stage. Also, excess phosphorus can cause a decrease in uptake of zinc, iron and copper, which will start a chain reaction of other macro and micro nutrient deficiencies. Cold temperatures of 55 degrees Fahrenheit or 12 degrees Celsius will have a negative effect on phosphorus uptake.
Severe phosphorus (P) deficiency during flowering. Fan leaves are dark green or red/purple, and may turn yellow. Leaves may curl under, go brown and die. Small-formed buds are another main symptom.
Phosphorus deficiencies exhibit slow growing, weak and stunted plants with dark green or purple pigmentation in older leaves and stems.
Some deficiency during flowering is normal, but too much shouldn't be tolerated. Red petioles and stems are a normal, genetic characteristic for many varieties, plus it can also be a co-symptom of N, K, and Mg-deficiencies, so red stems are not a foolproof sign of P-deficiency. Too much P can lead to iron deficiency.
Purpling: accumulation of anthocyanin pigments; causes an overall dark green color with a purple, red, or blue tint, and is the common sign of phosphate deficiency. Some plant species and varieties respond to phosphate deficiency by yellowing instead of purpling. Purpling is natural to some healthy ornamentals.

High Times

Other than green, purple is the most common color in living marijuana. Triggered by seasonal temperature changes (just as trees change color in the fall), the vibrant hues of the mature pot plant are also the result of genetics and the creativity of the cultivator or breeder.

Indoors and outdoors, color can be influenced by deficiencies as well as by temperature. The intense green of chlorophyll usually overpowers other colors, such as red, orange and the coveted purple. Chlorophyll tends to break down late in the season, and a pigment known as anthocyanin is unmasked and allowed to show through.

For purple color to develop upon maturation, a strain must have the genetic potential to produce anthocyanin pigments. However, the color might never be shown if environmental conditions don’t cause chlorophyll breakdown. Colombian and Hindu Kush strains tend to develop purple coloration when subjected to low night temperatures during the end of their life cycles. Purple Orangutan, originally from Afghanistan with heavy traits of the Hindu Kush, produces some of the darkest purple and blue tones found in any marijuana strain.

Another pigment called carotenoid is largely responsible for the yellow, orange, red and brown colors of marijuana. These colors begin to show in the leaves and calyxes of certain strains as the green chlorophyll color fades. Gold strains reveal underlying yellow and orange pigments as they mature. Red strains are usually closer to reddish brown in color, though certain carotenoid and anthocyanin pigments are nearly red, and streaks of these colors occasionally appear in the petioles (the slender stems supporting the leaflets) in ripe flowers. The red color in pressed, low-grade tops often consists of masses of reddish-brown dried pistils.

I just thought my readers could do with a good read while uploading photos is down, I hope this has been very informative to you and has erased any myths surrounding the purple grass.
I cannot stress enough to read through the articles closely before condemning them as this happens a lot and arguments ensue without cause.

 

[BeAn]

Outdoor Astroboy, mould resistant and resinous..


Jah bless..

 

[Sammet]

I just thought my readers could do with a good read while uploading photos is down, I hope this has been very informative to you and has erased any myths surrounding the purple grass.
I cannot stress enough to read through the articles closely before condemning them as this happens a lot and arguments ensue without cause.

Really good read mate, interesting stuff I didn't know about purpling. Great stuff

 

[hanfiking]

Does anyone know anything about these freaky looking legal buds? They look horrible I was just wondering what kind of herb or plant is it as the seller seems to be adamant not to name the strain throughout:
http://www.monstersmokeshop.com/combo_legal_bud_specials.html

 

[Braindead#1]

Does anyone know anything about these freaky looking legal buds? They look horrible I was just wondering what kind of herb or plant is it as the seller seems to be adamant not to name the strain throughout:
http://www.monstersmokeshop.com/combo_legal_bud_specials.html

Damned what's that shit?! Who is so crazzy to smoke that