Salinity tolerance in Phillyrea species

• Published in: The New phytologist Vol. 135; no. 2; pp. 227 - 234
• Main Authors: GUCCI, R., ARONNE, G., LOMBARDINI, L., TATTINI, M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Cambridge University Press 01.02.1997; Blackwell Publishing Ltd; Blackwell
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Autoecology; Biological and medical sciences; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Leaves; Phillyrea; Physical agents; Plant glands; Plant growth; Plant physiology and development; Plants; Plants and fungi; Salinity; Salt glands; Salts; Secretory cells; Soil salinity; Table salt; Vegetative apparatus, growth and morphogenesis. Senescence; X‐ray microanalysis; Mediterranean Region; salinity; X-ray microanalysis; salt glands; Phillyrea; Salt gland; Oleaceae; Growth; Secretion; Tolerance; Stress; Salinity; Ultrastructure; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Above ground plant part; Spermatophyta; Mediterranean region; Greenhouse study
• ISSN: 0028-646X; 1469-8137
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1469-8137.1997.00644.x

The genus Phillyrea includes woody shrub species of Mediterranean maquis which can be found occasionally in saline soils or areas exposed to salt aerosols. To test salinity tolerance in Phillyrea latifolia L., plants were grown in 1-l containers and exposed to different levels of salinity in a glasshouse over two growing seasons. Plants survived exposure to NaCl concentrations of up to 500 mM NaCl for 4 months. Analysis of the growth response to increasing salinity showed that shoot elongation was inhibited by 50% at 123 and 135 mM external NaCl after 31 and 123 d of salt treatment, respectively. Growth parameters were completely inhibited by treatment with 300 mM external NaCl for 64 d. High salt tolerance in Phillyrea plants was the result of both exclusion and secretion mechanisms. Secretion of ions occurred via salt glands present mainly on the abaxial surface of the leaf. Salt glands occurred alone or in pairs and were typically formed by a highly vacuolated collecting cell, a stalk cell and a group of 10–16 secretory cells. The mean diameter of the glands was 54 μm and the average density was 6·1 mM−2 (abaxial side). Peaks of Cl, K, Ca, Na, Si, Mg, Fe and Cu were detected in salt crystals near glands by X-ray microprobe analysis. This is the first report of salt glands in the Oleaceae family and of their role in salinity tolerance in Phillyrea species.