Abstract: The photosynthetic characteristics of four red bayberry （Myrica rubra） cultivars including ‘Heijing＇ were examined during the mature period. The results showed that the net photosynthetic rate（Pn） was significantly different among different cuhivars, and ‘Heijing＇ showed higher Pn than others. The light saturation point of the four cuhivars was about 600 μmol·m^-2,s^-1. The diurnal variation of photosynthesis showed a single-peak curve, the peak appeared at 10 o＇clock to 12 o＇clock. The photosynthetic rate of the biennial leaves was about 33.9%-52.8% of that of annual leaves.

Key words: Heijing, red bayberry （Myrica rubra）, photosynthetic characteristics, diurnal variation