Enhancement of photosynthetic CO2 assimilation in the absence of oxygen, as dependent upon species and temperature.

The assimilation of CO2 was enhanced in seven plant species by 44% at 30° in the absence of oxygen, and in three of the species by 85% at 40°. Net assimilation of CO2 was not significantly greater in the absence of O2 than it was in air with leaves of three tropical grasses and of one dicotyledonous species, Amaranthus palmeri. For two species in 30°, the enhanced CO2 assimilation values were similar to those of the tropical grasses and of A. palmeri. The absence of O2 did not enhance net CO2 assimilation in maize even in light of low intensity.