Botany Department, Shivaji University, Kolhapur-416004
The anatomical, photosynthetic and photorespiratory observations in the three samples of variegated leaves of Bougaimillea cv. Rao revealed a combination of characters of both C3 and C4 type of photosynthesis. The variations in the initial products of photosynthesis in the three samples were mainly due to the differences in the activities of primary carboxylating enzymes, PEPC and RuBPC In green (vg) tissue of the cultivar, C3 cycle of photosynthesis was prominent whereas in white tissues (vw and tw) C4 cycle dominated over C3. Further in white lissues photorespiration was also reduced as compared to vg leaves.
