Betalains are a class of red and yellow tyrosine-derived pigments found in plants of the order Caryophyllales, where they replace anthocyanin pigments. Betalains also occur in some higher order fungi. They are most often noticeable in the petals of flowers, but may color the fruits, leaves, stems, and roots of plants that contain them. They include pigments such as those found in beets.
The red color of beets comes from betalain pigments.
Swiss chard, showing one plant expressing yellow betaxanthins and another expressing red betacyanins
Flowers of the cactus Mammillaria sp. contain betalains.
Inflorescences of Amaranthus caudatus (love-lies-bleeding) contain large quantities of betacyanins.
Biological pigments, also known simply as pigments or biochromes, are substances produced by living organisms that have a color resulting from selective color absorption. Biological pigments include plant pigments and flower pigments. Many biological structures, such as skin, eyes, feathers, fur and hair contain pigments such as melanin in specialized cells called chromatophores. In some species, pigments accrue over very long periods during an individual's lifespan.
The budgerigar gets its yellow color from a psittacofulvin pigment and its green color from a combination of the same yellow pigment and blue structural color. The blue and white bird in the background lacks the yellow pigment. The dark markings on both birds are due to the black pigment eumelanin.
Anthocyanin gives these pansies their purple pigmentation.
Bougainvillea bracts get their color from betalains
