At the grain-filling stage, net photosynthetic rate (PN), stomatal conductance (gs), and ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylation efficiency (CE) were correlated in order to find the determinant of photosynthetic capacity in rice leaves. For a flag leaf, PN in leaf middle region was higher than in its upper region, and leaf basal region had the lowest PN value. The differences in gs and CE were similar. PN, gs, and CE gradually declined from upper to basal leaves, showing a leaf position gradient. The correlation coefficient between PN and CE was much higher than that between PN and gs in both cases, and PN was negatively correlated with intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci). Hence the carboxylation activity or activated amount of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase rather than gs was the determinant of the photosynthetic capacity in rice leaves. In addition, in flag leaves of different tillers PN was positively correlated with gs, but negatively correlated with Ci. Thus gs is not the determinant of the photosynthetic capacity in rice leaves. and D.-Y. Zhang ... [et al.].