Abstract: The effects of CO2 concentration on leaf thickness, chloroplast manbers in the bundle sheath cell, epidermal cell density, stomatal density, stomatal index, stomatal size were compared in 10 species in Gramineae: Triticum aestivum L., T. aestivum ssp. tibeticum, Hordeum vulgare L., H. brevisubulatum ( Trin. ) Link, Oryza sativa L., O. meyeriana ssp. granulata, Setaria italica (L.) Beauv, S. viridis (L.) Beauv, Sorghum vulgare Pers., Zea mays L. following their exposure to doubled carbon dioxide (700μL/L) and ambient carbon dioxide concentration (350μL/L). The results indicated that different species of plants might vary in their response to doubled CO2. In general, the leaves became thicker under the elevated CO2 condition. The mean stomatal density of the C3 species was decreased in doubled CO2, whereas the results of C4 species showed an inverse trend. The epidermal cell density and the chloroplast numbers of the bundle sheath cell in the wild plant species were less than those in the control under CO2 enrichment. The stomatal density was positively correlated with the stomatal index. Finally, the general pattern of structural variation under different CO2 concentrations was proposed, and their implication to the research of global change was discussed as well.

Key words: CO2 enrichment, Leaf morphology and structure, Gramineae