Diurnal CO2 Assimilation Patterns in Nine Species of CAM-Type Succulent Plants

Abstract

CO2 assimilation rate of Crassula hybrid `Himaturi', a succulent ornamental species with the crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) photosynthetic pathway, was affected by light intensity (50, 100, 300 μmol·m–2·s–1), photoperiod (16/8, 8/16 h day/night), and temperature (30/25, 25/20 °C day/night). Maximum assimilation of CO2 occurred at 300 μmol·m–2·s–1 of diurnal irradiance, 16/8 h day/night photoperiod, and a day/night temperature of 30/25 °C. Diurnal CO2 assimilation patterns of nine succulent ornamental CAM species were evaluated (300 μmol·m–2 s–1, 35/25 °C day/night and a 16/8-h day/night photoperiod) for CO2 fixation. Of the nine ornamentals, Crassula `Himaturi' had the highest and Echeveria derembergii the lowest maximum CO2 absorption rate (13.0 vs 2.4 μmol kg–1·s–1), total nighttime (179.3 vs 13.4 mmol·kg–1), and 24 h total (200.6 vs 19.0 mmol·kg–1) absorption. Based on the CO2 assimilation patterns, the nine ornamentals were separated into two groups: 1) full CAM (Faucaria tigrina, Gasteria gracilis var. minima, Haworthia cymbiformis, and Haworthia fasciata); and 2) weakly CAM (Adromischus clarifolius, Crassula hybrids `Moonglow' and `Himaturi', E. derembergii, and Haworthia retusa).