A single polypeptide of approx. 67 kDa mol.wt. with DNA polymerase activity has been chromatographically purified from shoot tips of 72 hr. grown germinated seedlings of rice (Oryza sativa.L.cv IR-8). An approx. 4800 fold enrichment of specific activity was measured by the incorporation of 3H-dTMP into trichloroacetic acid insoluble fraction, using activated calf thymus DNA as template-primer. The enzyme uses different types of DNA but not RNA as a template. The enzyme requires Mg+2, high KCl, and is highly sensitive to dideoxyribonucleoside triphosphate but is unaffected by aphidicolin, suggesting a plant counterpart of mammalian DNA polymerase beta. Replication of M13mp18 single stranded DNA by extension of 5'32P-labeled 17-mer primer(-40) showed distributive type of DNA synthesis by the rice DNA polymerase beta, which is a characteristic feature of mammalian DNA polymerase beta.