This study compared the relationship between chlorophyll (Chl) content, gas exchange, Chl fluorescence characteristics, and leaf color, using paired near-isogenic lines (NILs) of a medium-green leaf inbred line SN12 and a yellow-green leaf mutant SN62 to explore the photosynthesis of the yellow-green mutant. The SN62 was found in a female parent, Xianyu 335, which grew normally, although there were small yellow spots on the leaves at the seedling stage and yellow-green leaves appeared from the seedling to the maturation stage. The results indicated that Chl a (b), quantum efficiency of PSII, and maximal quantum yield of PSII photochemistry of SN62 were significantly lower than those of SN12, but there were almost no differences in the net photosynthetic rate (P N). There was no significant correlation between Chl a (b) and P N of inbred lines with different leaf colors. In the reproductive stage, photochemical quenching, effective quantum yield of PSII photochemistry, and the electron transport rate of SN62 increased obviously, and all parameter values exceeded the values of SN12. It explained that increasing the openness of the PSII reaction center was able to compensate for the lower Chl content, which was beneficial for harvesting more light energy for photochemical reactions. It also ensured that P N was not reduced., X. M. Zhong, S. F. Sun, F. H. Li, J. Wang, Z. S. Shi., and Obsahuje seznam literatury