The effect of growth under elevated CO2 on the capacity of photosynthesis was assessed in two cultivars of radish, Raphanus sativus L. cv White Cherrish and Kosena, with a large and small storage root, respectively. Plants were grown under ambient (ca. 350 μmol CO2 mol-1) and elevated (ca. 750 μmol CO2 mol-1) CO2 and the first leaf of the plants at various ages, were examined for chlorophyll fluorescence, the maximum photosynthetic rates under saturated CO2 (photosynthetic capacity) and the rates of transpiration simultaneously. Elevated CO2 did not significantly reduce the capacity of photosynthesis, transpiration, quantum yield of electron transport from photosystem II (ΦPSII), and the maximum intrinsic yield of photosystem II at any developmental stage in both cultivars. In other words, growth under elevated CO2 had no effect on the capacity of photosynthesis in either cultivar. These results suggested that not only the storage root but also vigorously growing young leaves play an important role as a sink in utilizing increased photosynthate under elevated CO2. The elevated CO2 accelerated ontogeny and caused a slightly earlier decline in the capacity of photosynthesis. The capacity of carbon metabolism and the photochemical capacity decreased coordinately with advancing age accompanied with the decline of photosynthetic activity under both ambient and elevated CO2.