Two Categories of 13C/12C Ratios for Higher Plants

Authors: Bruce N. Smith, Samuel Epstein - PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 1971 cited by 2,002

(13)C/(12)C ratios have been determined for plant tissue from 104 species representing 60 families. Higher plants fall into two categories, those with low delta(PDBI) (13)C values (-24 to -34 per thousand) and those with high delta (13)C values (-6 to -19 per thousand). Algae have delta (13)C values of -12 to -23 per thousand. Photosynthetic fractionation leading to such values is discussed.