Flavylium is an unusual heterocycle - it has a trivalent oxygen atom. These tend to be quite reactive - trialkyloxoniums, some of the most potent alkylating agents, contain them.
As in the case of tropylium, aromaticity saves the day again. What should be a very unstable compound ends up being fine even in water.
You might know flavylium from such pigments as cyanidin and delphinidin.
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