Many of the results concerning vertebrate and yeast mtDNA are not applicable to higher plants. The mtDNA of higher plants is extremely complex. Its molecular weight is between 200,000 and 2,400,000. A range of different molecules can be found in plants. Besides large, linear molecules occur also circular molecules of differing size.
Many molecules are incomplete and recombination seems to be a common event.
It has already been mentioned that the genetic code of mitochondria differs from the general one. The mtDNA of the C - plasma differs from that of the N plants in numerous restructurings. In this way have hybrid genes, i.e. genes that consist partially of an ATPase gene and partially of a cytochrome - oxidase gene been developed. The mtDNA of the T variety displays an even higher degree of restructuring. In the mitochondria of the S variety were two linear plasmids found.