Contents of photosynthetic pigments and ratios of chlorophyll / and chlorophylls to carotenoids (+)/(+) in C plants as compared to C plants.

The content of chlorophylls (Chl) (+), total carotenoids (+), and the pigment ratios of Chl / and Chls to carotenoids (+)/(+) of green leaves of five C plants were determined and compared to those of C plants. The C plants were: Pacific and Chinese silvergrass ( and ), sugar cane () as well as feed and sugar maize (). The three C plants were beech, ginkgo, and oak. C plants possess higher values for the ratio Chl / (3.4-4.5) as compared to the C plants (2.6-3.3). Sugar maize had the highest values for Chl / (4.04-4.70) and exceptionally high contents of total carotenoids and consequently lower values for the ratio of ()/() (mean: 3.75 ± 0.6). During autumnal senescence also C plants showed a faster decline of Chl as compared to Chl yielding high values for Chl / of 6 to 8. Chlorophylls declined faster than carotenoids yielding low ()/() values below 1.0.