title: Optical properties of the leaves of some African crop plants.
abstract: The fate of radiation incident on the leaves of some African crop plants is examined. Transmission coefficients for photosynthetically active radiation are 0.05-0.10 for mature leaves and 0.09-0.39 for young leaves. Increasing the angle of incidence of radiation results in a rise in reflectivity and a fall in absorptivity. Transmissivity rises to angles of incidence of 60 degrees and then falls sharply. Absorptivity and reflectivity are cubic functions of the angle of incidence of radiation. Consequences of these findings for photosynthesis are discussed.
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Farrar
authors.forename: O P
authors.initials: OP
authors.lastname: Mapunda